Nightwing and Batgirl: Year One
by JudgeJudysGavel
Summary: With Batman suddenly gone, Nightwing and Batgirl are left to catch a killer in Gotham, who goes by the name, Riddler.


**Nightwing and Batgirl: Year One**

by

Jaime S.

INT. GOTHAM BANK-NIGHT.

The bank is about to close, one of the tellers walks to the safe and notices masked men throwing cash in duffle bags. Before she lets out a scream, Killer Moth cocoons her and cocoons her mouth shut. Killer Moth puts his finger to his lips, mocking her inability to speak. He grabs the rest of the cash and is about to leave. Killer Moth's sees that his men have been taken out. Killer Moth pulls out his gun, but Nightwing strikes from behind. The gun falls out of Killer Moth's hand and slides across the floor. Killer Moth hits Nightwing in the face with his head; Nightwing stumbles back. He goes to strike Nightwing again but he blocks his blow. Nightwing punches Killer Moth and knocks him down sliding across the floor. Killer Moth falls near his gun and shoots Nightwing; Nightwing's legs get cocooned. To prevent Moth from leaving, he launches his armor at him. Killer Moth sees it coming and moves out of the way. The armor hits one of the men in the jugular. Killer Moth flees. Nightwing is in shock, but runs over to help. He places his hand over the wound to try and stop the bleeding, but the man dies. He hears police sirens and decides to run.

INT. JIM GORDON'S HOME-NIGHT

We start on a computer screen of surveillance of Batman fighting multiple people. It's paused and then rewound and restarted. Barbara is watching the moves closely. She gets up from her seat and starts to copy the moves, slowly then fast (insert Jungle Youth by Young the Giant, for the whole montage). She looks back up at the screen and sees Batman body slam a man into the floor breaking it. She looks in shock knowing she can't recreate that move. She begins to warm up while coding. She starts to use a punching bag, punching it then running up and tackling/straddling it. She arranges all the furniture in the house and begins to do parkour like moves around the room. She sets up a cord around the room and dodges it as she moves around the room. She does back flips and front onto her bed. She does hand stands off her bed post. Some of her moves go wrong throughout her workout- falling off punching bag and banging into furniture. She lifts weights and does sit ups while on her coding on her computer. While doing more moves she knocks over a picture of her parents and breaks it. She is visibly upset and stops working out and shuts the computer down. She goes over to the bathroom and takes a shower, she looks down at her razor, picks it up and just stares at it.

INT. BATCAVE-NIGHT.

Dick Grayson is standing in front of Bruce, who is sitting at his computer.

GRAYSON: "IT WAS AN ACCIDENT. I'M SORRY."

BRUCE: "I KNOW. KILLER MOTH'S THUGS WERE ARRESTED AND THEY GOT THE WOMAN OUT OF THE COCOON BEFORE SHE SUFFOCATED. I THINK IT'S BEST IF YOU LAY LOW FOR A LITTLE BIT, UNTIL HE'S CAUGHT. STAY HERE AND ANALYZE THE EVIDENCE WE HAVE ON HIM SO FAR."

Grayson keeps his head down.

GRAYSON: "OK, I'LL DO THAT."

BRUCE: "I'LL GO TALK TO COMMISSIONER YINDEL."

GRAYSON: "I MISS GORDON."

BRUCE: "DON'T WE ALL."

(to himself)

Bruce walks away towards the door. He receives a phone call.

BRUCE: "HELLO...YES...I'M COMING, THANK YOU."

(concerned)

INT. HOSPITAL ROOM-MORNING

Barbara Gordon is lying in a hospital bed with bandages on her wrists. She is staring at her meal while she eats. Dr. Nashton stands at the doorway.

EDWARD: "MS. GORDON?"

Barbara looks over at him.

EDWARD: "MY NAME IS DR. NASHTON, MAY I COME IN."

BARBARA: "YES." (softly)

He sits down next to her bed.

EDWARD: "I'M A PSYCHIATRIST. I'VE BEEN ASSIGNED TO YOUR CASE."

(sigh)

She continues to eat. He takes the tray from in front of her, which surprises her. She puts her hands on her lap and is slightly ass-whipped.

EDWARD: "YOU ARE EATING, THAT'S GOOD. YOU KNOW WHY YOU ARE HERE CORRECT?"

BARBARA: "YES,... I TRIED TO KILL MYSELF."

(monotone/softly)

Her head is down when she says it.

EDWARD: "I WANT YOU TO LOOK AT ME AND SPEAK UP. WHY ARE YOU HERE?"

He leans in.

BARBARA: "I TRIED TO KILL MYSELF." (loud/shameful)

EDWARD: "THEN WHY ARE YOU ALIVE RIGHT NOW?"

She begins to stare at him intensely and breathe heavily, then she breaks down.

BARBARA: "BECAUSE I COULDN'T GO THROUGH WITH IT. AFTER THE FIRST CUT I KNEW SOMETHING DIDN'T FEEL RIGHT AND AFTER THE SECOND ONE I CALLED 911. IT WAS A MISTAKE; IT WAS A STUPID MISTAKE."

(through tears and angry)

EDWARD: "WHAT INTERESTS ME MORE IS NOT THAT YOU TRIED TO KILL YOURSELF BUT THAT YOU STOPPED YOURSELF AND FOUND THE WILL TO LIVE. DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD TRY AND HURT YOURSELF AGAIN?"

BARBARA: "NO. NO I DON'T."

EDWARD: "WELL MS. GORDON, YOU HAVE NO PRIOR HISTORY OF DEPRESSION AND I DON'T FEEL LIKE YOU ARE A THREAT TO YOURSELF OR OTHERS. (SIGH)I DO HOWEVER WANT TO SEE YOU ONCE A WEEK FOR THE TIME BEING, AND YOU SHOULD NOT LIVE ON YOUR OWN EITHER."

BARBARA: "UNDERSTANDABLE."

EDWARD: "FORTUNATELY FOR YOU SOMEONE HAS AGREED TO TAKE YOU UNDER THEIR WING, SO TO SPEAK."

BARBARA: "WHO?"

EDWARD: "BRUCE WAYNE."

Barbara gives a slight smile.

EXT. HOSPITAL-MORNING

Barbara is wheeled out of the hospital by a nurse. Bruce is waiting in front of his car. He offers to help stand Barbara up out of the wheel chair.

BARBARA: "I GOT IT BRUCE THANKS. IT'S NOT LIKE I CAN'T WALK."

(she is ashamed so she lashes out a bit)

BARBARA: "I'M SORRY, I'M JUST A LITTLE ALL OVER THE PLACE RIGHT NOW."

BRUCE: "IT'S OK. LET'S GET OUT OF HERE."

INT. BRUCE'S CAR-DAY

Barbara and Bruce have been sitting in silence for quiet some time.

BRUCE: "SO WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY FOR YOURSELF?"

BARBARA: "I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY. I WAS DEPRESSED. IT WAS A MOMENT OF WEAKNESS."

BRUCE: "YOU COULD HAVE CALLED."

BARBARA: "SO COULD YOU...I KNOW NOW WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING WAS WRONG. I WASN'T TAKING CARE OF MYSELF AND I SHUT EVERYONE OUT. I'M SORRY. I WANT YOU TO KNOW I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE FOR ME NOW AND TAKING ME IN. I'M GLAD I TOLD THE HOSPITAL TO CALL YOU."

BRUCE: "YOU KNOW I HAVE ALWAYS CARED ABOUT YOUR FAMILY. YOUR DAD AND I HAVE A SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP. I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT IT'S BEEN LIKE FOR YOU WHILE HE'S IN TREATMENT. I KNOW YOU DON'T REALLY HAVE ANYONE RIGHT NOW AND I NEED TO BE HERE FOR YOU. IT'S WHAT I WANT TO DO AND WHAT YOUR DAD WOULD WANT. HAVE YOU TOLD HIM?"

BARBARA: "NO, IT WOULD UPSET HIM TOO MUCH. HE NEEDS TO FOCUS ON GETTING BETTER. WHEN THERE'S A BETTER TIME, I'LL TALK TO HIM."

The two of them don't speak for the rest of the car ride. Barbara just stares out the passenger window.

INT. WAYNE MANOR-DAY

Alfred is waiting at the door when Bruce and Barbara arrive.

ALFRED: "HELLO MS. GORDON."

BARBARA: "HI, IT'S ALFRED, RIGHT."

ALFRED: "YES, MS. GORDON."

BARBARA: "YOU CAN CALL ME BARBARA, ALFRED."

ALFRED: "YES, BARBARA. I'VE SET UP A ROOM FOR YOU AND PLACED SOME OF YOUR BELONGINGS YOU REQUESTED TO HAVE WHILE YOU ARE HERE."

BARBARA: "THANK YOU."

BRUCE: "I'LL SHOW YOU YOUR ROOM."

They walk down the halls to Barbara's room.

BRUCE: "YOUR ROOM ISN'T FAR FROM ALFRED AND ME, BUT YOU STILL HAVE ENOUGH PRIVACY."

Barbara isn't looking at him, she is just staring at the room. She turns around.

BARBARA: "THIS IS NICE, THANK YOU."

Bruce is still lingering in the room.

BARBARA: "BRUCE I'M NOT GOING TO HURT MYSELF ONCE YOU LEAVE THE ROOM. I'M FINE."

BRUCE: "I'LL GIVE YOU SOME SPACE. WE HAVE DINNER AT 6:00."

BARBARA: "I'LL BE THERE."

After Bruce leaves the room Barbara begins to unpack some things. She notices that a photo of her and her parents(with the cracked frame), she puts it on the nightstand. She begins to get teary-eyed. She wipes the tears away and pulls out her computer.

INT. DR. NASHTON'S OFFICE-NIGHT

Dr. Edward Nashton is working at his desk. Cameron Von Cleer drops the bag of money on his desk (he is wearing an outfit similar to his Killer Moth uniform but more fitting for a motorcycle rider). Edward looks up from his desk.

EDWARD: "I DON'T BELIEVE I SEE PATIENTS THIS LATE."

(sigh)

CAMERON: "WELL DOC, I THOUGHT IT WAS URGENT...IT'S ALL THERE, MINUS MY CUT."

EDWARD:"I BELIEVE YOU."

Edward looks back down. Killer Moth is still standing there. Edward looks up inquisitively.

EDWARD: "YOU CAN GO NOW." (slightly irritated)

CAMERON: "HOW MUCH LONGER DO YOU NEED ME TO KEEP DOING THIS?"

EDWARD: "NOT MUCH LONGER." (sigh)

CAMERON: "ARE YOU EVER GOING TO TELL ME WHAT IT'S FOR?"

EDWARD: "NO, I DON'T THINK SO."

CAMERON: "WHY NOT? WE WORK TOGETHER." (irritated)

EDWARD: "NO YOU WORK FOR ME. DON'T EVER FORGET THAT. YOU WILL FIND OUT WHERE THE MONEY GOES WHEN EVERYBODY ELSE DOES. DON'T COME TO MY OFFICE AGAIN." (calm but firm)

INT. BARBARA'S ROOM-DAY

Barbara is sitting in her room on her bed on the computer. Bruce comes in.

BRUCE: "HEY."

BARBARA: "HEY."

BRUCE: "YOU HAVEN'T REALLY LEFT THIS ROOM MUCH. I DON'T WANT YOU TO GET INTO THIS SAME PATTERN WHILE YOU ARE HERE."

BARBARA: "I GET IT. I'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET SOME WORK DONE AND LOOK FOR A JOB."

She isn't looking up much from her laptop. She closes her laptop.

BARBARA: "I NEED TO WORK ON IT MORE."

BRUCE: "WELL, THAT'S WHY I'M HERE TO HELP. THERE'S A CHARITY BALL I'M HOSTING TONIGHT I WOULD LIKE YOU TO COME."

BARBARA: "I'M ALL FOR GETTING OUT OF THE HOUSE AND NOT TO BE SUCH A RECLUSE, BUT A BLACK TIE EVENT SEEMS TOO FAR IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION FOR ME, YOU KNOW."

BRUCE: "JUST THINK ABOUT IT. DO YOU WANT TO GO FOR A RUN? I CAN GIVE YOU A TOUR OF THE GROUNDS."

BARBARA: "DO YOU THINK I CAN KEEP UP?" (jokingly)

EXT. WAYNE GROUNDS-DAY

They begin to run. Bruce is going easy on Barbara, but she is persistent to keep up.

BRUCE: "HOW YOU DOING?"

BARBARA: "HANGING IN THERE."

BRUCE: "YOU KNOW IT MIGHT BE EASIER FOR YOU IF YOU SLEPT MORE."

BARBARA: "IT MIGHT BE EASY FOR ME IF I SLEPT AT ALL."

BRUCE: "DO YOU WANT A BREAK?"

BARBARA: "NOPE."

BRUCE: "YOU'RE PRETTY STUBBORN AREN'T YOU?"

BARBARA:"I GUESS SOME QUALITIES OF THE PEOPLE I SPEND TIME WITH HAVE RUBBED OFF ON ME."

Bruce picks up speed and is way ahead of Barbara now. She loses him completely. She stops for a second. She is far away from the manor in the woods. She continues on and heads back. When she arrives back at her room she sees a purple gown on her bed for the ball tonight. She nods her head.

INT. WAYNE BENEFIT, BALLROOM-NIGHT

Bruce is chatting with a few people at the event, when he notices Barbara decided to show up. He excuse himself and walks over to her.

BRUCE: "I'M GLAD TO SEE YOU HERE. I THOUGHT I MIGHT HAVE LOST YOU IN THE WOODS."

BARBARA: "I HAVE A PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORY."

BRUCE: "DO YOU LIKE THE DRESS?"

BARBARA: "IT'S BEAUTIFUL, THANK YOU. IT DOES FEEL GOOD TO OUT. I GUESS I JUST NEEDED A PUSH."

BRUCE: "YOU'RE NOT WEARING THE HEELS I BOUGHT YOU, ARE YOU?"

She pulls up her dress a little to show she is wearing flats and smiles.

BARBARA: "HOW ELSE CAN I MAKE A QUICK GETAWAY?"

BRUCE: "I'M NOT ENTIRELY SURPRISED BY THIS...ANY LUCK ON THE JOB SEARCHING?"

BARBARA: "IT'S FUNNY THAT YOU MENTION IT, BECAUSE I APPLIED TO THE POLICE ACADEMY ONLINE AND STRANGELY THEY REMEMBER RECEIVING THE APPLICATION, BUT THEN IT DISAPPEARED FROM THEIR SYSTEM. YOU WOULDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THAT WOULD YOU?"

(sarcastic)

He takes a swig of his champagne.

BARBARA: "AFTER WHAT HAPPENED, I HAVE THIS NEW ATTITUDE ABOUT WHAT I WANT TO DO WITH MY LIFE."

BRUCE: "WHAT'S THAT?"

BARBARA: "I WANT TO HELP THIS CITY IN WHATEVER WAY I CAN... LIKE "YOU" DO."

BRUCE: "HOW DO YOU PLAN ON ACQUIRING YOUR OWN COMPANY?"

BARBARA: "I'VE KNOWN, OK. FOR A LONG TIME. WHEN I WAS YOUNGER I WOULD LISTEN TO YOU AND MY FATHER TALK ON THE POLICE RADIO ALL THE TIME. I HEARD YOU REVEAL YOURSELF TO MY FATHER. AND TODAY I HALF EXPECTED YOU TO SHOW ME THE BATCAVE WHEN YOU SAID YOU WOULD TAKE ME ON A TOUR OF THE GROUNDS. SO I HAVE TO ASK, IS THE REASON YOU DIDN'T WANT ME TO BE A COP BECAUSE YOU WANT ME TO BE A PART OF YOUR TEAM?"

BRUCE: "MAYBE I JUST DON'T THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA FOR YOU TO BE A POLICE OFFICER. YOU'RE SMALL AND I DON'T EVEN THINK YOU MAKE IT PAST THE ACADEMY. IT'S A WASTE OF TIME FOR YOU."

BARBARA: "THEN WHAT ISN'T?...BRUCE, I WILL PROVE TO YOU THAT I CAN DO THIS. WHATEVER IT TAKES. SO IF YOU WANT ME, THEN TELL ME."

(irritated)

BRUCE: "IT'S NOT THAT SIMPLE. I WANT YOU...DUCK!

BARBARA: "WHAT?"

Bruce pushes her out of the way and under a table. Killer Moth has come in to attack Bruce. Bruce blocks his blows and grabs one of Killer Moth's men, but Killer Moth cocoons Bruce. Barbara watches all of this from underneath the table. Killer Moth's men take Bruce out of the building and into a van. The van follows Killer Moth on his motorcycle. Barbara runs out of the ballroom and pulls up her dress revealing jeans underneath and tucks her dress in to them. She gets in her car and begins turning through back alleys. This puts her ahead of Killer Moth. She hides in the alley and waits. Right when Killer Moth approaches, she guns it and T-bones his cycle causing him to crash. The van turns over to avoid the crash. Barbara's car spins out and the air bag goes off, but she is fine. She gets out of the car and plays it off as an accident.

BARBARA: "I'M SO SORRY. ARE YOU ALRIGHT?"

KILLER MOTH: "YOU STUPID BITCH!"

He tries to cocoon her, but she use her car door as a shield. She screams and is shaken up. He comes over to her and she gets down on her knees, surrendering with her hands in the air.

BARBARA: "OK, OK I'M SORRY."

He points the gun directly at her head. Killer Moth falls over, he begins to shake on the ground. Barbara is in shock and looks over at Nightwing putting away his stun gun. He walks over to her, she is surprised to see him. He grabs her arm and pulls her up.

NIGHTWING: "ARE YOU OK?"

BARBARA: "I'M FINE."

Bruce comes out of the van and has knocked out all of Killer Moth's men from the van (the ones who didn't get knocked out from the crash).

NIGHTWING: "THAT WAS A VERY BRAVE THING YOU DID. BRAVE AND STUPID."

(towards Barbara)

BRUCE: "WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY FOR YOURSELF?"

(angry)

BARBARA: "I'M A TERRIBLE DRIVER." (sarcastic)

She leans in and whispers.

BARBARA: "I TOLD YOU I WOULD PROVE IT TO YOU."

BRUCE: "THIS ISN'T WHERE YOUR STRENGTH IS."

Bruce looks at Nightwing.

BRUCE: "YOU SHOULDN'T BE HERE, GO."

Nightwing leaves on his cycle. The police have arrived now and have arrested Killer Moth Bruce walks away towards the police.

BARBARA: "BRUCE I'M GOING TO NEED A RIDE HOME!...I DID IT."

(to herself, smiling)

INT. BATCAVE-NIGHT

Bruce arrives into the Batcave. Grayson is already there.

GRAYSON: "WHO WAS THAT GIRL?"

BRUCE: "BARBARA GORDON."

GRAYSON: "JIM GORDON'S DAUGHTER? WHAT IS SHE DOING HERE?"

BRUCE: "SHE HAS BEEN DEALING WITH SOME PERSONAL ISSUES, SO SHE IS STAYING WITH ME. I NEED TO KEEP AN EYE ON HER."

GRAYSON: "SHE WAS HELPFUL TONIGHT THOUGH...SOMEWHAT."

BRUCE: "THANKS TO HER WE DON'T KNOW WHO KILLER MOTH WAS HELPING OR WHERE HE WAS SENDING THE MONEY. SHE'S NOT READY TO BE HERE YET, PHYSICALLY OR EMOTIONALLY FOR THAT MATTER. A PART OF ME KNOWS THAT SHE DOESN'T BELONG HERE BECAUSE JIM ISN'T GOING TO LIKE IT. BUT SHE'S SMART AND I NEED HER SKILLS. HER STRENGTH IS BEHIND THE SCENES, NOT IN THE FIELD. I KNOW AN EXTRA SET OF HANDS OUT THERE IS GOOD, BUT I WANT TO EXTENSIVE TRAINING BEFORE SHE GOES OUT THERE. SHE DOESN'T REALIZE IT, BUT I THINK IN TIME SHE WILL. I CAN'T WATCH HER ALL THE TIME, DO YOU THINK YOU CAN KEEP AN EYE ON HER FOR ME?"

GRAYSON: "UH SURE, IF YOU NEED ME TO."

BRUCE: "IT'S MORE FOR HER THAN DOING ME A FAVOR. SHE NEEDS A FRIEND...AND SO DO YOU."

Grayson smirks at Bruce and then leaves the room.

INT. BARBARA'S ROOM-NIGHT

Later that night, Barbara wakes up from a nightmare and can't fall asleep. She is trembling and starts to cry a little. She is having a panic attack and rocks herself to try and calm down.

INT. ARKHAM ASYLUM-DAY

Edward is walking down the hall towards the nurses' station.

EDWARD: "EXCUSE ME, I'M HERE TO TALK TO A FORMER PATIENT OF MINE, CAMERON VON CLEER."

NURSE: "HE'S WAITING FOR YOU DOWN THIS HALL, IN THE LAST ROOM ON THE LEFT."

EDWARD: "THANK YOU."

He walks down the hall and into the room, and sits across from Cameron. Cameron is disheveled, eyes red and hair a mess.

EDWARD: "WELL YOU SURE HAVE MADE A BIG MESS NOW HAVEN'T YOU? COULD YOU REALLY HAVE BEEN THAT SLOPPY?"

(sigh)

CAMERON: "I HAD BRUCE, AND NIGHTWING WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE THERE."

EDWARD: "NIGHTWING SEEMS TO BECOMING MORE OF A PROBLEM, DOESN'T HE?"

CAMERON: "YEAH BUT IT WASN'T HIS FAULT I WAS CAPTURED."

(irritated)

EDWARD: "WHAT DO YOU MEAN?" (confused)

CAMERON: "SOME RED-HEADED GIRL PURPOSELY CRASHED HER CAR INTO ME."

EDWARD: "YOU SAID A RED-HEADED GIRL?"

CAMERON: "YEAH SHE HAD RED HAIR AND I THINK SHE IS FRIENDS WITH BRUCE. SO WHAT?"

Edward starts to laugh. Cameron looks at him like he's crazy.

EDWARD: "AAHH...THIS IS VERY INTERESTING."

(to himself. He then clears his throat and sighs)

EDWARD: "I WOULDN'T WORRY ABOUT HER. SHE WON'T BE A PROBLEM ANYMORE."

CAMERON: "ALRIGHT, SO WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS TO GET ME OUT OF HERE?" (annoyed)

EDWARD: "OH I DON'T PLAN TO GET YOU OUT OF HERE. YOUR SERVICES ARE NO LONGER NEEDED. NOW THE REAL FUN BEGINS."

Edward gets up and leaves the room.

CAMERON: "YOU SON OF A BITCH. YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME IN HERE! I WILL CONFESS TO EVERYTHING!"

A nurse and orderlies are about to enter Cameron's room. Edward stops the nurse. He hands her a note and whispers something in her ear. She nods her head and calls someone on the phone. Edward walks down the hall and leaves.

INT. DR. NASHTON'S OFFICE-RAINY DAY

Barbara is meeting Dr. Nashton the following day. He has a black leather chair, which he is sitting in. He also has a green suede couch for patients.

BARBARA: "DR. NASHTON."

EDWARD: "HELLO, BARBARA."

(smiling)

She reaches out her hand and they shake.

EDWARD: "HOW HAVE YOU BEEN? YOU LOOK BETTER THAN THE LAST TIME WE SPOKE."

She sits on the couch.

BARBARA: "I'VE BEEN DOING ALRIGHT, BUT I CAN'T SLEEP AT NIGHT."

EDWARD: "TELL ME ABOUT IT." (sigh)

BARBARA: "I WAKE UP FROM A NIGHTMARE, DRENCHED IN SWEAT, TREMBLING AND THEN I SPEND THE REST OF THE NIGHT TRYING TO CALM MYSELF DOWN. BY THE TIME I DO CALM MYSELF DOWN, IT'S MORNING AND I HAVE TO GET ON WITH THE REST OF MY DAY."

EDWARD: "HOW LONG HAS THIS BEEN PART OF YOUR ROUTINE?"

BARBARA: "OVER A YEAR NOW."

EDWARD: "WHAT HAPPENED OVER A YEAR AGO?"

BARBARA: "MY MOTHER AND I WERE VICTIMS OF A HOME INVASION AND SHE WAS KILLED."

EDWARD: "I'M SORRY TO HEAR THAT, BUT IT SEEMS TO ME THAT YOU HAVE NEVER REALLY FOUND A WAY TO COPE WITH WHAT HAPPENED. IS THAT FAIR TO SAY?"

(sigh)

BARBARA: "YES." (timidly)

EDWARD: "I WANT TO TRY SOMETHING WITH YOU, BUT I NEED YOUR FULL COOPERATION. I NEED YOU TO TRUST ME, UNDERSTAND?"

She nods her head. He sits next to her on the couch.

EDWARD: "CLOSE YOUR EYES. NOW, I'M NOT INTERESTED IN THE ACTUAL DETAILS ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT, BUT INSTEAD YOUR PERCEPTION OF WHAT HAPPENED. BECAUSE YOUR PERCEPTION IS YOUR REALITY. NOW TELL ME IN FULL DETAIL THE NIGHTMARE YOU HAVE BEEN HAVING."

Simultaneously, while Barbara speak about the dream there is a flashback as to what she is saying.

BARBARA: "UM, I'M IN MY APARTMENT AND MY MOTHER IS THERE TOO. IT'S NIGHT TIME; WE ARE SITTING ON THE COUCH. WE HEAR THE SOUND OF GLASS BREAKING IN ANOTHER ROOM. SHE GOES TO CHECK IT OUT. I STAY ON THE COUCH. I HEAR HER TELL ME TO RUN, AND I START RUNNING BUT I FALL TO THE GROUND. I'M PULLED UP BY MY HAIR AND I'M FORCED TO SIT UP RIGHT ON THE FLOOR. MY MOTHER IS KNOCKED ON THE GROUND NEXT TO ME. BOTH MEN HAVE MASKS ON AND GUNS. ONE STARTS TO SEARCH THE APARTMENT FOR STUFF TO TAKE AND THE OTHER HAS HIS GUN POINTED AT US. THEY TAKE BOTH OUR PURSES, JEWELRY, AND THEN I NOTICE THAT ONE OF THEM IS HOLDING MY HARD DRIVE. I TRY TO MOVE AND TELL HIM TO STOP. I'M HIT IN THE FACE BY THE OTHER GUY AND HE'S NOW THREATENING TO SHOOT ME. MY MOTHER STEPS IN TO STOP HIM AND HE SHOOTS HER. WE ALL ARE JUST STANDING THERE IN SHOCK. ONE OF THE MEN POINTS HIS GUN AT ME AND PULLS THE TRIGGER. AND THEN I WAKE UP."

When Barbara is telling her story, she begins to breath faster and harder and get more distraught.

EDWARD: "DON'T OPEN YOUR EYES YET. KEEP THEM CLOSED. YOU ARE HAVING A PANIC ATTACK RIGHT NOW."

BARBARA: "I WANT TO OPEN MY EYES." (upset)

EDWARD: "I SAID KEEP THEM CLOSED." (firm)

He puts his hands on her face, slightly aggressively. She is trembling all over. She nods her head.

EDWARD: "FOCUS ON THE SOUND OF MY VOICE. LET THE SOUND OF MY VOICE CALM YOU DOWN. TAKE A DEEP BREATH IN AND NOW OUT. DO IT AGAIN. AGAIN. YOUR PERCEPTION OF WHAT HAPPENED IS THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED THAT NIGHT RIGHT?

BARBARA: "I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS ANYMORE."

EDWARD: "WE'RE NOT DONE YET. I NEED YOU TO SAY IT OUT LOUD."

BARBARA: "YES, YES IT WAS MY FAULT! I SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE ONE TO BE SHOT NOT HER!"

She opens her eyes and stares at Edward. She bursts into tears and then rest her head on Edward's shoulder.

EDWARD: "LOOK UP AT ME. YOU STOPPED SHAKING WHEN YOU STARTED TO SPEAK AGAIN. DID YOU NOTICE THAT?"

She's calming down.

BARBARA: "UM, NO I DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE IT."

(exhales deeply)

BARBARA: "WOW. THANK YOU." (smiling)

EDWARD: "ONCE YOU HAVE ANOTHER PANIC ATTACK, AND HONESTLY YOU WILL HAVE ANOTHER PANIC ATTACK. THERE IS A WAY OUT OF IT AND IT WILL END. AND I WILL HELP WITH YOUR SLEEP TROUBLE. I'M GOING TO PRESCRIBE YOU VALIUM TO HELP YOU SLEEP AT NIGHT JUST UNTIL WE CAN WORK THROUGH YOUR TRAUMA. RIGHT NOW I ONLY WANT YOU TO USE IT WHEN YOU FEEL YOU NEED IT TO FALL ASLEEP."

Edward goes to his desk and pulls out a small packet of pills. He hands it to her.

BARBARA: "OK, THANK YOU."

INT. BATCAVE-MORNING

Grayson wakes up from his room inside the Batcave. Grayson starts to look for Bruce. Bruce is nowhere to be found. Alfred comes in to bring Grayson breakfast.

GRAYSON: "AL, HAVE YOU SEEN BRUCE?"

ALFRED: "HE LEFT."

GRAYSON: "AND HE DIDN'T SAY WHERE HE WAS GOING? OR WHEN HE WOULD BE BACK?"

ALFRED: "HE JUST SAID HE NEEDED TO TAKE CARE OF SOME THINGS."

GRAYSON: "WELL, THAT'S SPECIFIC." (to himself, sarcastic)

INT. WAYNE MANOR- DAY

Grayson arrives at Wayne Manor to visit Barbara. Barbara is in the kitchen.

BARBARA: "HI, UMM... (doesn't know his name)

GRAYSON: "GRAYSON."

BARBARA: "BARBARA GORDON."

They both smile. Barbara is waiting for him to say something.

BARBARA: "DID BRUCE SEND YOU HERE?"

GRAYSON: "HE'S GONE AND I CAN'T GET A HOLD OF HIM? DO YOU KNOW WHERE HE IS?"

BARBARA: "NO, BUT HE'LL BE BACK RIGHT? HE'S NOT JUST GOING TO LEAVE NOW."

(upset)

GRAYSON: "I DON'T KNOW. THE LAST TIME I TALKED TO HIM HE ASKED ME TO LOOK OUT FOR YOU WHEN HE WASN'T AROUND."

Barbara shakes her head is angry.

BARBARA: "OH MY GOD."

She tries calling Bruce on her cell phone. There is no answer. She starts to panic.

GRAYSON: "LOOK I'M SURE HE'S GOING TO COME BACK AS SOON AS HE CAN."

He tries to calm her down and puts a hand on her shoulder. She backs away.

BARBARA: "I'M SORRY. I THINK I NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE."

Alfred enters the room.

ALFRED: "WHAT'S GOING ON?"

Barbara storms up to her room.

BARBARA: "IF BRUCE ISN'T GOING TO FOLLOW THE RULES THAN NEITHER AM I."

She goes up to her room and starts to pack.

INT. GOTHAM POLICE STATION-DUSK.

Barbara enters the police station and speaks to the officer at the front desk.

BARBARA: "HI, I'M BARBARA GORDON. MY FATHER IS COMMISSIONER JIM GORDON. I'M HERE TO SEE IF I COULD PICK UP SOME OF MY DAD'S OLD THINGS THAT HE HAS IN HIS OFFICE."

OFFICER: "SURE, GO ON IN. ALL OF HIS THINGS WERE LEFT IN THE STORAGE ROOM DOWN THE HALL."

BARBARA: "THANKS."

She enters the storage room and grabs a few things and puts them in a box. She notices Commissioner Yindel's office, with the door closed.

BARBARA: "THAT'S NOT MY DAD'S OFFICE." (to herself)

She walks around the corner, with the box, to her dad's actual office. She opens the door; it's been unused. She quietly closes the door behind her. She turns on his computer. She takes a disc out of her bag. The disc is copying data from the computer and providing an untraceable link. It's downloading a little slow. She slips past a few officers and goes to the rooftop. She walks over to the bat-signal and places her hand on the metal bat. There is a glimmer in her eye and she smiles and then looks at the view of the city. Later she goes back to the computer; the download is done. She smiles and grabs all the stuff. She walks past the same officer, at the front desk.

BARBARA: "ALL DONE. HAVE A GOOD NIGHT."

OFFICER: "YOU TOO."

EXT. CITY STREET NEAR ALLEY-DAY

People start to gather at a spot in the downtown area, where a dead body is found. The body is glowing green and has a letter attached to him.

INT. COMMISSIONER MONTOYA'S OFFICE-DAY

Yindel is sitting at her desk. Officer Montoya walks up to her, holding the letter.

MONTOYA: "KILLER MOTH WAS JUST PUT AWAY AND NOW THERE'S ALREADY SOMEONE ELSE TO FILL THE VOID."

COMMISSIONER YINDEL: "LET ME SEE."

She hands her the green envelop with a question mark on it. She reads the letter.

YINDEL: "TO WHOMEVER READS THIS LETTER: YOU HAVE FAILED. ANOTHER ONE OF GOTHAM'S TRASH HAS ENDED UP WHERE THEY BELONG. NONE OF YOU HAVE THE INTELLIGENCE TO SAVE THEM, BUT I WILL GIVE YOU ANOTHER CHANCE TO SAVE ANOTHER VICTIM AND ANOTHER AND ANOTHER. SOLVE THE CODE OR MORE WILL DIE. FROM THE MAN BEHIND THE RIDDLES "R"."

MONTOYA: "DO YOU THINK HE'S SERIOUS? IF HE IS, HE KNOWS MOST LIKELY THAT WE WON'T SOLVE THIS IN TIME BEFORE ANOTHER VICTIM DIES."

YINDEL: "THEN MAYBE WE SHOULD ASK OUR FRIENDS FOR SOME HELP. THAT'S WHAT COMMISSIONER GORDON WOULD DO, RIGHT?"

(sarcastic)

Montoya isn't too pleased with that comment, but she nods her head and leaves Yindel's office. Yindel frustratingly stares at the letter.

INT. LIBRARY-DAY

Barbara is going to the library for an interview. She meets in one of the offices with the head of the library.

LIBRARIAN: "SO MS. GORDON, IT APPEARS YOU HAVE A DEGREE IN COMPUTER SCIENCES. THAT'S VERY APPROPRIATE AND A GREAT LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION."(excited)

BARBARA: "OH, I DON'T REMEMBER PUTTING THAT IN THERE."(confused)

LIBRARIAN: "BRUCE WAYNE SENT ONE IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO. HE SAID YOU WOULD BE GREAT FOR THE JOB."

BARBARA: "THAT WAS NICE OF HIM." (holding back)

LIBRARIAN: "SO WHEN CAN YOU START."

BARBARA: "WHENEVER YOU NEED ME." (smiling)

INT. JIM GORDON'S OLD HOME-NIGHT

Barbara takes her nightly Valium. This time it's in a bottle. She begins to react differently. She hallucinates a bit and then passes out and wakes up on the floor the next morning. She grabs her phone and makes a call.

BARBARA: "HI, I NEED TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH DR. NASHTON."

INT. DR. NASHTON'S OFFICE- DAY

Barbara and Edward are both sitting down.

EDWARD: "BARBARA, I DIDN'T THINK I WOULD SEE YOU THIS SOON."

BARBARA: "THE PILLS HAD AN UNUSUAL EFFECT ON ME. THE FIRST SET YOU GAVE ME WERE FINE, BUT ONES FROM THE BOTTLE FELT DIFFERENT."

EDWARD: "REALLY? TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED." (sigh)

BARBARA: "I TOOK THE MEDICATION RIGHT BEFORE I WENT TO BED, BUT I STARTED TO HALLUCINATE AND I BLACKED OUT...I WOKE UP OF THE FLOOR." (suspicious)

EDWARD: "IT'S NOT UNCOMMON FOR THE BODY TO REACT TO MEDICATION LIKE THAT, INITIALLY. YOUR BODY IS JUST GETTING USED TO TAKING IT ON A REGULAR BASIS, BUT JUST GIVE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME. TRUST ME ON THAT."(calm and soothing)

BARBARA: "OK." (skeptical)

EDWARD: "GOING BACK TO THAT NIGHT. HOW DID YOU GET AWAY?"

BARBARA: "THE MAN HAD THE GUN POINTED AT ME NEXT. HE PULLED THE TRIGGER BUT THE GUN JAMMED. THEY HEARD THE COPS DOWNSTAIRS AND THEY MADE A RUN FOR IT, BUT THEY WERE CAUGHT. THERE WASN'T A TRIAL. BOTH MEN TOOK A PLEA DEAL. AND I WAS LEFT ALONE, TRYING TO DEAL WITH EVERYTHING."

EDWARD: "WHAT ABOUT YOUR FATHER?"

BARBARA: "HE WAS AROUND AS MUCH AS HE COULD BE, BUT THIS CITY IS ALWAYS IN A MAJOR CRISIS. THEN HE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER, SO HE NEEDED TO LEAVE TO GET TREATMENT."

EDWARD: "WHAT WAS IT LIKE FOR YOU AFTER SHE WAS GONE?"

BARBARA: "I LEFT THE APARTMENT AND I MOVED INTO MY DAD'S HOUSE. I HARDLY EVER LEFT THE PLACE. I DIDN'T SLEEP, EAT, OR EVEN TALK TO ANYONE. IT WAS JUST ME AND MY COMPUTER UNTIL I COULDN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE. I WAS IN A PRISON THAT I MADE FOR MYSELF AND I WAS LOOKING FOR A WAY OUT."

EDWARD: "SO THEN YOU ATTEMPTED SUICIDE?"

BARBARA: "YES."

EDWARD: "I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU? IF THOSE MEN HAD GOTTEN AWAY, WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR FEELINGS WOULD HAVE BEEN TOWARDS THEM?"

BARBARA: "IT WOULD HAVE BEEN ALL I EVER THOUGHT ABOUT. I DON'T THINK I WOULD HAVE WANTED TO KILL THEM BECAUSE I DON'T FEEL THAT WAY NOW, BUT I WOULD HAVE WANTED TO CATCH THEM MYSELF... I WOULD HAVE WANTED TO HURT THEM JUST SO THAT I COULD FEEL LIKE I GOT BACK SOME CONTROL... IS THAT WRONG TO THINK THAT WAY?"

While Barbara is talking Edward is listening intently and is intrigued by her way of thinking.

(sigh)

EDWARD: "I DON'T THINK YOUR THOUGHTS ARE WRONG AT ALL. HONESTLY IF IT WERE ME, I THINK I WOULD WANT TO KILL THEM."

Barbara stares at him slightly shocked.

EXT. ROOFTOP OF POLICE DEPARTMENT

Yindel has put the bat-signal on and is waiting. Nightwing shows up.

YINDEL: "I HAVEN'T SEEN YOU IN A WHILE."

NIGHTWING: "I THOUGHT IT WAS BEST IF I LAY LOW. DO YOU WANT TO ARREST ME?

YINDEL: "BATMAN CONVINCED ME NOT TO. WE NEED TO KEEP UP THE IMAGE THAT THE TWO OF YOU ARE MOSTLY GOOD WITH GOOD INTENTIONS. IT WOULD BE BAD IF WORD GOT OUT ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED."

NIGHTWING: "GOOD POINT."

YINDEL: "WHERE IS HE?"

NIGHTWING: "IT DOESN'T MATTER. I CAN HANDLE IT." (slightly irritated)

YINDEL: "GOOD TO KNOW. THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW MURDERS.

She hands him the case file. He begins to look through it.

YINDEL: "THEY ALL DIED THE SAME WAY, BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA WITH A SPECIFIC UNIQUE OBJECT. WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO IDENTIFY WHAT IT IS YET."

NIGHTWING: "WHAT'S THE RELATION BETWEEN THE VICTIMS?"

YINDEL: "WE DON'T KNOW; IT SEEMS RANDOM. THE PEOPLE WERE TRAVELING ALONE AT NIGHT OR IN QUIET PLACES. THE BODIES WERE CARVED INTO POST MORTEM AND THEN INJECTED WITH A GREEN CHEMICAL TO MAKE THEM GLOW. NOT ALL THE INFORMATION HAS REACHED THE MEDIA YET. THEY ONLY KNOW ABOUT ONE KILLING. ALTHOUGH I KNOW THEY ARE VERY CLOSE TO GETTING MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CASE.

She hands him a copy of the coded letter.

YINDEL: "AND SEE IF YOU CAN SOLVE THIS WHILE YOU'RE AT IT."

NIGHTWING: "WHAT IS THIS?"

YINDEL: "A CRYPTIC LETTER, THREATENING MORE KILLINGS. IF WE ARE ABLE TO CRACK THE CODE THEN THE KILLINGS MIGHT STOP (SARCASTIC). WE WILL SEND YOU MORE INFORMATION WHEN IT COMES IN."

She looks down at her phone; when she looks up Nightwing is gone.

EXT. CITY STREET- NIGHT (SAME NIGHT)

It's a late night and the city is quite. Edward is strolling down the street with his cane and happens upon a drunk man. The man is shouting at a group of young women. They ignore his advances and walk away. He stumbles to the alleyway and tries to smoke a cigarette, but he drops it on the ground. Edward passes the man by a few steps, but then changes his mind and walks backwards, right next to him.

(sigh)

EDWARD: "YOU KNOW THAT'S REALLY NOT THE WAY TO GET THE ATTENTION FROM THE LADIES."

DRUNK: "IT WORKS SOME OF THE TIME." (laughing)

EDWARD: "HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO PLAY A GAME?"

DRUNK: "SURE, WHAT KIND OF GAME?"

EDWARD: "I'M GOING TO ASK YOU A QUESTION. IF YOU GET IT RIGHT YOU CAN GO ON YOUR WAY. BUT IF YOU GET IT WRONG...WELL LET'S NOT WORRY ABOUT THAT YET. LET'S START."

DRUNK: "OK."

EDWARD: "WHAT IS IT THAT NO MAN WANTS, BUT NO MAN WANTS TO LOSE?"

DRUNK: "I HAVE NO IDEA. YOU GOT ME ON THAT ONE."(laughing)

(sigh)

EDWARD: "SORRY, THAT WAS NOT THE ANSWER I WAS LOOKING FOR, BUT HERE'S A PARTING GIFT."

He smacks him in the head once with his cane. The guy says "ow", and falls to the ground. He tries to get up and leave, but Edward beats him without stopping until the guy is a bloody mess. He takes out a knife and cuts into his body. He throws a note on top of the body as he walks away.

EXT.-GOTHAM SOCIALITE HOUSE-DAY.

A man goes to his mailbox and grabs a black envelope. He opens it; it's an invitation to the Gotham Museum for the opening of a new exhibit.

Meanwhile, a special newspaper is set on all the citizens doorsteps by few vans patrolling the city. On the newspaper's front page there is an article talking about hidden money all over the city, and a map to find the locations.

This causes chaos all over the city. People are literally fighting to get their hands on the money. The traffic from all the cars is causing problems for the police to try and stop any of it.

INT. GOTHAM MUSEUM-DAY.

The museum has set up for a party for the opening. All the people gather to the museum, including Dr. Nashton.

EXT. CITY-DAY

The citizens have decided to search for the money. Many rush to their cars to find the money quickly. There is major traffic on the streets and some car accidents as well. People begin to literally fight each other to get to the money first. Police are doing their best to try and subdue anyone they can.

INT. GOTHAM MUSEUM-DAY.

Edward is chatting with some other guests and slips away through an employee door. He runs into a security guard which he knocks out with a pull-out cane and then drugs him.

INT. LIBRARY-DAY

Barbara is working at the library. A large group of people come into the library at once. Barbara is sitting at a desk and co-worker is putting some books away. They are looking at all the people coming in.

CO-WORKER: "WHAT'S GOING ON?"

BARBARA: "I DON'T KNOW."

People start knocking over bookshelves and tables. Barbara gets up from the desk.

BARBARA: "HEY, WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?" (angry)

The co-worker runs to the phone.

CO-WORKER: "I'M CALLING THE POLICE."

Barbara looks out the window and sees a major traffic jam and people running all around the city. More people are flooding into the library.

CITIZEN: "WHERE'S THE MONEY?" (angry)

BARBARA: "WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?"

He shows his gun, which is located in his waistband

CITIZEN: "YOU'RE GOING TO HELP US FIND IT."

EXT: NEWS REPORT-DAY

News report on the events.

REPORTER: "THE POLICE ARE DOING THE BEST TO CONTROL THE SITUATION. ANYONE FOUND ON THE STREETS RIGHT NOW, LOOKING FOR MONEY WILL BE ARRESTED. WE ARE TELLING PEOPLE TO PLEASE REMAIN INDOORS AT THIS TIME."

CUT TO:

INT. BATCAVE-DAY

Grayson has been analyzing the map of locations where the money is hidden. The locations create the shape of a question mark. The dot of the question mark isn't one the locations and is missing. Grayson lines up the map with an actual map of Gotham. The building in place of the dot is the Gotham Museum. Grayson quickly suits up.

GRAYSON: "ALFRED, GO GET BARBARA OUT OF THE LIBRARY. THE HIDDEN MONEY IS A DISTRACTION FROM SOMETHING GOING ON AT THE MUSEUM."

He gets on his cycle and quickly leaves the batcave.

INT. GOTHAM MUSEUM-DAY.

Edward breaks into a "warehouse like" room containing old artifacts, not on display to guests of the museum. Edward begins wandering down the aisles, reading the names on the crates. He finds the one he is looking for and opens it up, using his cane (which has a crowbar end). He takes the rolled up maps and tucks them inside of his cane and places his cane inside his jacket.

EXT. CITY STREET-DAY

People who have found the locations of the money find a clue for a larger prize at Gotham museum. People start to quickly rush, via cars and on foot to the museum.

INT. COP CAR- DAY

Commissioner Yindel and Montoya are driving around the city. Yindel gets a text on her phone about trouble at the museum, from an unknown number. She radios for police to head to the museum.

YINDEL: "I NEED ALL UNITS TO HEAD FOR GOTHAM MUSEUM. GO! GO!"

Accidents are constantly happening on the way to the museum and people are running in front of cars. The cop car tries to avoid crashing into people, but crashes into a few car; the cop car is then un-drivable. Yindel and Montoya get out of the car. Other cop cars stop due to the crash. The police proceed out of the cars.

YINDEL: "HOW FAR ARE WE AWAY FROM THE MUSEUM?"

MONTOYA: "A COUPLE OF BLOCKS."

YINDEL: "ALRIGHT, EVERYONE ON FOOT, NOW GO!"

The police begin to run towards the museum.

INT. LIBRARY-DAY

At the same time, the cash has been found by one man at the library. The others won't let him leave. They are threatening to shoot him if he doesn't give up the cash. Barbara and the coworker have made their way to one of the small offices to hide.

CITIZEN: "YOU'RE NOT LEAVING WITH ALL THE MONEY YOURSELF!"

The person that has the money is holding a gun too.

CITIZEN2: "JUST STAY BACK!"

He is shot by someone. There is chaos for the cash and more shots are fired. Barbara and the coworker look on in horror.

CO-WORKER: "WE HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE."

(scared)

BARBARA: "OK, LET'S GO."

They make their way towards the exit. She starts running and gets out of the building and gets caught up in the chaos outside. She is shoved in all different directions by the people. She sees/hears Alfred calling her and she pushes her way towards him. Before she gets there a man approaches Alfred with a gun, trying to take his car.

BARBARA: "HEY!"

She runs over and punches him in the face. She is in shock over what she just did. The man looks back at her and points the gun at her. She panics and falls to the ground in a panic attack. Alfred hits the guy with the car door and picks Barbara up off the ground and into his car.

ALFRED: "ARE YOU ALRIGHT?"

BARBAR A: "I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHY I DID THAT. WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING OUT THERE?"(upset)

ALFRED: "THE POLICE THINK IT'S A DISTRACTION FROM SOME OTHER ACTIVITY AT THE MUSEUM. NIGHTWING IS ON HIS WAY THERE NOW."

Alfred drives away from all the chaos on the street using an alleyway.

INT. JIM GORDON'S OLD HOME-DAY

Barbara goes and sits down in the living room. She has calmed down a little bit.

ALFRED: "CAN I GET YOU ANYTHING BARBARA?"

She's distracted and is thinking.

BARBARA: "I'M SORRY, WHAT DID YOU SAY?"

ALFRED: "ARE YOU ALRIGHT? CAN I GET YOU ANYTHING?"

BARBARA: "I'M FINE, THANKS ALFRED... CAN YOU HAND ME MY LAPTOP."

He hands her the laptop and she puts on the tv to watch the news. She tries to hack into the camera feed in the museum, but she can tell it's been edited because nobody is showing up on the feed.

BARBARA: "THAT'S NOT RIGHT."

INT. GOTHAM MUSEUM-DAY.

Nightwing is on the rooftop of the museum and sees people running to the museum. Nightwing hears screaming from inside the museum and climbs in from the roof to help.

People have rushed in with guns and are holding some patrons hostage. Edward has made his way back into the main room and this point, but is starting to head toward the exit.

The police have made a perimeter around the museum. Yindel and Montoya are upfront and decide to lead the way in with a few cops. The have their guns drawn and ready.

YINDEL: "GOTHAM P.D.! I WANT EVERYBODY'S HANDS UP NOW!"

INT. JIM GORDON'S OLD HOME-DAY

Barbara is finally able to hack into the surveillance cameras at the museum. She scans through the different cameras and finds something odd in the archive room.

BARBARA: "ALFRED, I NEED YOU TO GET IN TOUCH WITH GRAYSON, NOW."

ALFRED: "ALRIGHT."

He calls him on his cell phone and hands it to Barbara.

NIGHTWING: "AL, I'M KIND OF BUSY."

BARBARA: "GRAYSON, THERE'S A BOMB IN THE ARCHIVE ROOM. I JUST SAW IT ON ONE OF THE CAMERAS."

NIGHTWING: "WHAT'S THE TIME?"

BARBARA: "THERE'S NO TIME ON IT."

NIGHTWING: "I'M HANGING UP, I NEED TO GET EVERYONE OUT."

BARBARA: "GRAYSON WAIT. THERE'S A SECURITY GUARD DOWNSTAIRS AND I THINK HE'S UNCONSCIOUS."

He hangs up.

NIGHTWING: "I'LL TAKE OF IT."

BARBARA: "GRAYSON? LET ME HELP...HE HUNG UP."

INT. GOTHAM MUSEUM-DAY.

Yindel and the police are trying to subdue anyone with a weapon. Nightwing pulls the fire alarm to try and get everyone out. Yindel runs over to Nightwing.

YINDEL: "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

NIGHTWING: "EVERYONE NEEDS TO LEAVE NOW! THERE'S A BOMB IN THE BUILDING!"

This causes a panic in the museum. Edward quickly makes his escape and rushes out of the building. People start to flood out of the museum, right behind Edward. The police outside the museum begin to back up, but they have their guns still drawn. Yindel falls back to make sure more people get out of the building.

Nightwing goes down stairs to go and get the security guard. The man is sitting upright with his head leaning on the wall. Nightwing tries to revive him. He turns his face and sees a question mark on it. He realizes the man is dead and begins to run to avoid the bomb. He runs up the steps and covers him with a flame-retardant material pulled out from his belt. He makes it to the top of the stairs, in a nook in the wall. He turns his head around, because the bomb hasn't gone off yet. Then suddenly it does and he immediately covers up.

Upstairs everyone has made it out. Yindel is on the steps of the museum during the blast and falls down dropping her gun. Many people are running all over the place, and it is very crowded. She runs over to go pick it up, but a man grabs it before she can. She lunges at him before he can point it at her. She gets on top of him and tries to grab the gun. It fires into the air. The man hits her in the face and she falls off of him. She tries to move back and away from the man, who now has the gun pointed at her. Edward rushes over and hits the man in the back of the head. The man stumbles and drops the gun. He looks over at Edward and points the gun at him. Yindel pulls out another gun from her belt and shoots the man dead. She is in shock and angry. Montoya and another cop pull Yindel up.

YINDEL: "I'M ALRIGHT, I'M ALRIGHT. THANK YOU SIR."

EDWARD: "JUST HAPPY I COULD HELP." (smiling)

INT. GORDON'S HOUSE- DAY

Later, Grayson changes out of his suit and comes to Barbara's place.

GRAYSON: "THAT SECURITY GUARD WAS DEAD." (frustrated)

BARBARA: "I SAW, I'M SORRY. THE CAMERA FEED HAD BEEN TAMPERED WITH. WHEN I TRIED TO GO BACK AND SEE HOW THE BOMB GOT THERE, IT APPEARED THAT IT HAD BEEN WRITTEN OVER WITH OLD FOOTAGE."

GRAYSON: "CAN YOU TRACK WHO DID IT?"

BARBARA: "THE CAMERAS AND THE SERVER ARE GONE. I CAN'T DO ANYTHING. I'M SORRY I COULDN'T BE MORE HELP, BUT I THINK FINDING THE BOMB WAS PRETTY GOOD." (frazzled)

GRAYSON: "WHY ARE YOU SHAKING?" (condescending)

ALFRED: "GRAYSON DON'T."

BARBARA: "DON'T LOOK FOR FAULT IN ME. I HELPED YOU. MAYBE YOU SHOULD FIND YOUR PARTNER IF YOU CAN'T HANDLE THIS ON YOUR OWN." (angry and shaking)

GRAYSON: "FINE."

Grayson storms out.

BARBARA: "ALFRED, I'M SORRY CAN YOU GO TOO."

ALFRED: "I DON'T THINK YOU SHOULD BE LEFT ALONE RIGHT NOW."

BARBARA: "I WON'T BE. I'M GOING TO GO SEE MY DOCTOR."

She grabs purse and they both walk out the door together.

EXT. MUSEUM-DUSK

Fireman are clearing up the ruble and police are taking statements from guests and witnesses. Montoya brings Yindel some coffee.

YINDEL: "HAVE THEY FOUND ANYTHING YET?"

MONTOYA: "REMAINS WERE FOUND OF ONE PERSON. THEY THINK IT WAS A SECURITY GUARD. THEY ARE TRYING THEIR BEST TO ACCOUNT FOR ALL THE ITEMS, BUT WHO KNOWS. HOW DID NIGHTWING FIND THE BOMB?"

YINDEL: "I DON'T KNOW. I'LL GUESS I'LL HAVE TO ASK HIM NEXT TIME I SEE HIM."

MONTOYA: "ARE YOU OK, FROM WHAT HAPPENED EARLIER?"

YINDEL: "NOT REALLY. I'M STILL TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IT, BUT IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. FIND OUT WHAT YOU CAN ABOUT THE MAN AND I WANT TO SPEAK TO DR. EDWARD NASHTON TOMORROW."

MONTOYA: "OK." An officer walks over to them.

COP: "COMMISSIONER! WE FOUND ONE OF HIS MARKINGS."

Yindel and Montoya walk over to the officers. They see a scorched metal box; inside is a large pile of money. The money is fake with a question mark where the president should be.

INT. EDWARD'S OFFICE: FRONT DESK-DUSK

Barbara quickly comes into the building and immediately interrupts the person at the front desk, who is on the phone.

BARBARA: "I NEED TO SEE DR. NASHTON PLEASE."

ASSISTANT: "HE'S NOT HERE RIGHT NOW. HE WENT HOME."

(annoyed)

BARBARA: "I'M SORRY, I NEED TO TALK TO HIM NOW. IT'S URGENT."

ASSISTANT: "LIKE I SAID, HE'S NOT HERE. TRY AGAIN TOMORROW MORNING."

She goes outside and uses her phone to connect to the server for Edwards office. She looks through the directory for Edward's information and finds his address.

INT. EDWARD'S HOME-NIGHT

Barbara knocks aggressively on Edward's door. He opens it, mad, but then is shocked when he sees Barbara standing there shaking.

BARBARA: "I'M SO SORRY, I SHOULDN'T HAVE COME HERE. I'LL JUST COME TO YOUR OFFICE TOMORROW."

She is ready to walk away, but he stops her.

EDWARD: "NO WAIT, BARBARA. WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? WHAT'S WRONG? YOU CAN COME INSIDE. IT'S ALRIGHT."

They sit down in his living room on the couch. He gets her a glass of water.

BARBARA: "THANK YOU. I WAS WORKING AT THE LIBRARY TODAY, DURING ALL THE CHAOS...I DON'T THINK I WAS READY FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT."

EDWARD: "YOU WORK AT THE LIBRARY? I'M SO SORRY BARBARA, I DIDN'T KNOW. I DIDN'T...

BARBARA: "DIDN'T WHAT?" (inquisitively)

EDWARD: "IF I HAD KNOWN YOU WORKED THERE, I WOULD HAVE CALLED TO MAKE SURE YOU WERE OK." (sigh)

BARBARA: "IT'S OK. I KNOW YOU WOULD HAVE."

EDWARD: "WHAT HAPPENED AT THE LIBRARY? PHYSICALLY YOU LOOK ALRIGHT, BUT WHAT SHOOK YOU UP SO BAD?"

BARBARA: "I HAD A COUPLE OF CLOSE CALLS TODAY. A MAN POINTED A GUN AT ME AND IT BROUGHT ME RIGHT BACK TO THAT NIGHT. I FROZE I COULDN'T MOVE I COULDN'T BREATHE. ALFRED HAD TO PULL ME OFF THE STREET."

EDWARD: "YOU SAID THAT YOU WEREN'T READY FOR TODAY, BUT IN A STRANGE WAY I THINK YOU WERE. TODAY YOU FELT HOW PARALYZING YOUR FEAR ACTUALLY IS FOR YOU. RIGHT?"

BARBARA: "YES, I THINK THAT'S WHY I SHUT MYSELF OUT FOR ALMOST A YEAR, BECAUSE I WAS SCARED TO GO OUT AND SOMETHING BAD HAPPEN."

EDWARD: "YOU WERE AFRAID TO BE AFRAID. BUT NOW THIS IS A TURNING POINT FOR YOU. YOU HAD THE WORST CASE SCENARIO HAPPEN AND NOW YOU ARE STILL HERE. NOW YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE YOUR WAY OF THINKING."

BARBARA: "AFTER WHAT HAPPENED TODAY, I KNOW I DON'T WANT TO BE SCARED ANYMORE." (sigh)

EDWARD: "SO HOW DO YOU WANT TO REACT?"

BARBARA: "I WANT TO REACT WITH STRENGTH. I WANT TO FIGHT BACK."

EDWARD: "THAT'S MORE LIKE IT. WELL, I THINK THAT'S ENOUGH FOR TONIGHT. DO YOU NEED A RIDE?"

BARBARA: "NO, I'LL BE FINE. I'VE ALREADY TAKEN ENOUGH OF YOUR TIME TONIGHT."

EDWARD: "I ENJOY OUR TALKS BARBARA. THAT'S WHAT I'M HERE FOR."

BARBARA: "THANKS, DR. NASHTON."

EDWARD: "BARBARA, YOU CAN CALL ME EDWARD, IF YOU LIKE."

BARBARA: "EDWARD, ALRIGHT, SURE. YOU HAVE A BEAUTIFUL APARTMENT, EDWARD. WHAT'S THAT?

She points to some sketches and maps, she can see in the next room. Edward goes up to the door and shuts it. He stands in front of it. Barbara is surprised.

BARBARA: "I'M SORRY I DIDN'T MEAN TO PRY INTO YOUR STUFF."

EDWARD: "IT'S ALRIGHT. IT'S JUST A PROJECT I'M WORKING ON. IT'S NOT READY YET. I'M A BIT OF A PRIVATE PERSON MYSELF, SORRY." (skittish)

BARBARA: "NO, IT'S OK. I GET IT. DO YOU THINK YOU WILL LET ME SEE IT WHEN YOU'RE DONE?"

EDWARD: "YOU BET."

They walk towards the front door. She stands in the threshold.

BARBARA: "HAVE A GOOD NIGHT EDWARD."

EDWARD: "YOU TOO."

They smile at each and she walks down the hall. Edward goes back into the room with the maps. All the maps are laid out on a table and he has some photographs on the wall of Wayne Manor, the grounds, and the caves underneath.

INT. COMMISSIONER YINDEL'S OFFICE-DAY

Edward walks in and has a seat opposite of Yindel at her desk.

YINDEL: "I'M SORRY FOR TAKING YOU AWAY FROM YOUR OFFICE THIS MORNING, BUT I JUST WANTED TO ASK YOU SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT YESTERDAY."

EDWARD: "ABSOLUTELY, I'M HAPPY TO HELP IN WHATEVER WAY I CAN."

YINDEL: "YOU WERE DEFINITELY A BIG HELP YESTERDAY. SO THANK YOU. DID YOU KNOW THAT MAN?"

EDWARD: "I DIDN'T REALLY GET A GOOD LOOK AT HIM. SO I COULDN'T TELL YOU EITHER WAY."

Yindel pulls out a mugshot of the man.

YINDEL: "HE HAD QUITE A RECORD. HE WAS ALSO ONE OF YOUR PATIENTS."

EDWARD: "HE WAS QUITE SOME TIME AGO.(SIGH)... IT'S AMAZING WHAT YOU CAN FIND OUT IN ONE HARD DAY OF WORK, COMMISSIONER."

YINDEL: "YOU ARE CREATING QUITE A TRACK RECORD FOR YOURSELF WITH YOUR PATIENTS. LOOK AT CAMERON VON CLEER. HE'S IN ARKHAM NOW, ISN'T HE?"

EDWARD: "THAT MAN NEEDED MORE ATTENTION THAT I COULDN'T POSSIBLY GIVE HIM, UNFORTUNATELY. WITH MOST OF MY PATIENTS I THINK MY TRACK RECORD SPEAKS FOR MYSELF." (sigh)

YINDEL: "DOESN'T IT. YOU ARE TREATING GORDON'S DAUGHTER NOW, AREN'T YOU?"

EDWARD: "COMMISSIONER, YOU KNOW I CAN'T DISCUSS MY PATIENTS WITH YOU, THAT I AM CURRENTLY TREATING."

YINDEL: "YOU'RE RIGHT, I'M SORRY. I DO WANT TO TALK ABOUT WHAT CONCERNS ME. TWO OF YOUR PATIENTS HAVE BECOME LARGE PROBLEMS IN GOTHAM NOW, AND I WANT TO KNOW HOW MANY MORE WILL. MAYBE ONE OF YOUR PATIENTS IS MURDERING INNOCENT CITIZENS IN COLD BLOOD. I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SAFETY OF THIS CITY AND I WANT TO KNOW WHO IS ON MY SIDE AND WHO ISN'T."

EDWARD: "I UNDERSTAND YOU, AND YOUR FEELINGS ARE JUSTIFIED. IF I CAN PROVIDE YOU ANY INFORMATION TO HELP, I WILL."

He gets up and leaves her office.

YINDEL: "THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR TIME TODAY."

Yindel isn't sure what to make of their conversation or Edward.

INT. OLD BOXING GYM-DAY

Barbara walks up to a man using the punching bag.

BARBARA: "EXCUSE ME, ARE YOU SAM?"

SAM: "HOW CAN I HELP YOU?"

BARBARA: "I WAS LOOKING FOR SOME EQUIPMENT."

SAM: "ARE YOU THE PERSON WHO RESPONDED TO MY AD?"

BARBARA: "YES."

SAM: "OK?"

(slightly confused)

BARBARA: "WILL YOU LOSE THAT WEIRD LOOK IF I TELL YOU I HAVE CASH?"

SAM: "SORRY, COME WITH ME."

Sam shows her a duffle bag with a stun gun, mace and brass knuckles.

BARBARA: "I'LL TAKE ONE OF EACH OF WHAT YOU HAVE."

SAM: "ARE YOU SURE YOU DON'T JUST WANT A GUN?"

BARBARA: "NO THANKS."

She hands him the cash and she puts the stuff in her own backpack.

SAM: "THERE IS SOMETHING ELSE I HAVE THAT YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN."

He takes out a small box out of another duffle bag.

SAM: "OPEN IT."

She opens it and sees batarangs.

BARBARA:"WHY DO YOU HAVE THESE?"

SAM: "PEOPLE HAVE BEEN MAKING KNOCKOFFS OF HIS STUFF FOR YEARS. THERE'S A NICHE MARKET FOR IT AND YOU SEEMED TO FALL INTO THAT CATEGORY."

BARBARA: "IS IT REALLY THAT OBVIOUS? THANK YOU. I'LL KEEP IN TOUCH IF I NEED ANYTHING ELSE FROM YOU."

SAM: "I DON'T WANT KNOW WHY YOU ARE DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING, BUT THERE'S A DIFFERENT KIND OF CRAZY OUT THERE. BE CAREFUL."

BARBARA: "IF I HAD INTENTIONS OF BEING CAREFUL, THEN I WOULDN'T NEED THIS STUFF."

SAM: "GOOD POINT. WOULD YOU ALSO BE INTERESTED A KICKBOXING LESSON?"

BARBARA: "I'D LIKE THAT." (smiling)

EXT. CITY STREET-DAY

After leaving the gym, Barbara is walking back to her car and she notices the guy who pointed a gun at her the other day. He hasn't noticed her, so she starts to follow him. She follows him all the way down to this rundown building with a bunch of guys living in it. She watches as the guy buys drugs in there. She memorizes the address and goes back to her car.

INT. BATCAVE-NIGHT.

Grayson and Alfred are sitting in front of the computers. All the evidence and case files have been put in the system.

GRAYSON: "THE POLICE GAVE ME ALL THE EVIDENCE AND AN ENCRYPTED LETTER."

ALFRED: "YOU NEED A CYPHER; WITHOUT IT YOU ARE NEVER GOING TO UNCODE IT."

GRAYSON: "I PUT THE LETTER INTO THE COMPUTER AND IT'S RUNNING THROUGH ALL THE WORDS FROM THE DICTIONARY. IT'S A START."

ALFRED: "HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?"

GRAYSON: "I DON'T KNOW, BUT I DOUBT WE WILL SOLVE IT TODAY, OR EVEN THIS WEEK."

ALFRED: "WHAT IF IT'S NOT AN ACTUAL WORD?"

GRAYSON: "I DON'T KNOW!...I'M SORRY ALFRED. I CAN'T ASK BARBARA. SHE WOULD WANT TO BE A PART OF THE WHOLE THING."

He gets up from the chair.

EXT. ROOFTOP-NIGHT

Nightwing observes the city on a rooftop. A gang of men come up to him on the rooftop, looking for trouble.

MAN1: "WHERE'S THE BAT?"

NIGHTWING: "WHY, ARE YOU LONELY?"

MAN1: "NO, BUT YOU LOOK LIKE YOU ARE."

A couple of the men start firing guns at him. He runs around the corner and hides behind the roof top access door. The men follow him around the other side of the wall blocking both sides, but he isn't there. Nightwing is hanging off the wall. One of the men looks over the edge and Nightwing quickly switches places with the man. Nightwing is back on the roof and the man falls down the fire escape (all one quick fluid movement). He grabs the other man's gun while simultaneously kicking him in the stomach, knocking him down. He then flips around hitting the other man in the face with the gun. The man who was on the ground from the kick, bear hugs Nightwing. The other man stabs Nightwing in the chest. The knife breaks in his suit and it doesn't touch him. The man tries to turn and reach for the gun on the ground behind him, but Nightwing kicks him in the face. He then breaks the man's arm, who is bear hugging him, and hits the man's face against the wall, knocking him out. The other man has got the gun, but Nightwing throws out a rope which lassos the gun and throws it up against the wall, breaking it. Nightwing walks up quickly to the man, who is running backwards. Nightwing starts to run and picks up the man and then body slams him into the ground, for the final blow. Nightwing gets up and leaves the rooftop.

EXT. CITY STREET-NIGHT

A redheaded woman is walking home. It's not clear if she's a hooker or just promiscuous. She lights a cigarette.

EDWARD: "CAN YOU SPARE ONE?"

WOMAN: "I GUESS I COULD." (flirtatious)

EDWARD: "THANK YOU. DO YOU REALLY THINK YOU SHOULD BE WALKING ALONE THIS LATE A NIGHT, WITH ALL THAT'S HAPPENING?"

WOMAN: "I'M NOT TOO CONCERNED, BUT MAYBE IT COULDN'T BE SUCH A BAD IDEA TO BE ESCORTED HOME. WHAT DO YOU SAY?"

EDWARD: "I'D BE GLAD TO." (smiling)

The two of them walk off together down the street and get into Edward's car.

INT. LIBRARY- NIGHT

Barbara is working late and is in charge to lock up. After closing, she changes from her work outfit to her Batgirl getup. She changes in the janitor's closet. Her boots go from calf to knee high and her cap turns into a mask with bat ears. Her jacket has a cape hidden in the lining. Her jeans are dark purple but the rest of the outfit is black. She has made a belt to hold all of her equipment.

EXT. OLD BUILDING-NIGHT

Barbara goes back to the building where she followed the man to. She goes through the alley to the back entrance and is about to knock on the door. Her hands are shaking, but she takes a deep breath in and then exhales slowly. She knocks on the door acting like she's done this before. The guy who almost shot her answers the door. She is surprised and is a little thrown off guard.

BATGIRL: "HI, UMM..I'M LOOKING TO BUY SOME DRUGS."

(slightly nervous)

She holds out a wad of cash. He lets her walk into the building.

THUG: "WHY ARE YOU WEARING A MASK?"

She is getting stared at by the rest of the people inside.

BATGIRL: "DOES IT REALLY MATTER?"

THUG: "I GUESS NOT. BUT I DON'T BELIEVE YOU'RE HERE TO BUY DRUGS."

He slams the door behind her. She turns toward him.

BATGIRL: "YOU'RE RIGHT." (confident)

She throws a batarang at a guy who was about to pull out a gun, to the right of her. The thug in front of her takes a swing at her with a pipe. She moves back just in time; she kicks him between the legs and he goes down. She throws more batarangs at a few other guys with guns and knives. She is hit pretty hard once in the chest and is grabbed by two men. Barbara grabs a smoke bomb, from her belt, and throws it at the group. She tries to escape through a window, but is grabbed again. She fights the guy off and runs underneath a table. While under the table she kicks the guy's legs and he hits his face on the table top. She climbs out from underneath the table and jumps on top of it(similar to the way she would practice at home). Once she is on top of the table a guy tries to grab her leg but he can't see real well, due to the smoke. She does a running jump onto another guy's back and lifts her legs vertically in the air. One man is trying to grab her before she does this and instead hits the man she is holding onto. He begins to fall but Batgirl flips off of him before she falls too. Another guy comes at her with a knife, she dodges it, grabs it from his hand and throws it in the air. She catches the knife, flips it around, blade down. She then throws it down and pushes it in his foot with her boot. He punches her in the face and she hits him back. Somebody tries to hit her with a chair but she blocks it with her forearm, which still hurts. She is then struck in the back of the head and tied to a pipe hanging from the ceiling.

THUG: "BITCH BROKE MY NOSE."

He kicks her hard in the stomach. She tries to fight off the pain.

THUG2: "JUST SHOOT HER."

She sprays him with mace hiding in her glove and kicks the gun out of his hand. She sprays anyone else with mace, who gets too close. She doesn't stop kicking and moving, so they can't shoot her. She quickly puts her feet up to her hand and pops a blade out from her shoe to cut the zip tie. Then the lights go out in the building. She jumps on top of another guy and uses him as shield to not get shot. Someone shoots him trying to get to her anyway and she releases him as a reaction. Nightwing comes in and grabs the man with the gun. He uses it and shoots them all in the legs. He stares at Batgirl with frustration.

BATGIRL: "WHAT?"

Nightwing is about to say something when they hear police sirens. They split up and she runs into the alley. She takes off her mask and belt. As she casually walks away, she puts her hair in front of her face to cover her head injury. She reaches her car which is parked a couple of blocks away. Nightwing watches her from a rooftop.

INT. GORDON'S HOUSE- MORNING

The next morning Barbara's alarm goes off and she slowly wakes up to turn it off. She gets up out of bed. She is covered in bruises. She limps to the bathroom and gets some Tylenol. Next she moves to the kitchen to get some coffee. There is a knock at the door and she slowly limps toward it. She tries to cover her wounds before she answers the door. She opens the door and sees Grayson holding a first aid kit.

GRAYSON: " MAY I COME IN? THAT LOOKS BAD."

He points to her head, which is bleeding again.

BARBARA: "UM, YEAH."

Later, Barbara is sitting on a bar stool in the kitchen. Grayson is cleaning the wound.

BARBARA: "OW. JEEZ THAT HURTS."

GRAYSON: "ARE YOU SURE YOU DON'T NEED TO SEE A DOCTOR OR ANYTHING?"

BARBARA: "I'M FINE. THANK YOU."

GRAYSON: "ACTUALLY COULD YOU SAY THANK YOU ONE MORE TIME, BECAUSE YOU STILL OWE ME ONE FROM LAST NIGHT FOR SAVING YOUR ASS."

BARBARA: "I CAN TAKE CARE OF MYSELF THANK YOU VERY MUCH." (annoyed)

GRAYSON: "THERE'S IT IS. THANK YOU... EXACTLY, HOW WERE YOU GOING TO GET OUT WITH A GUN POINTED AT YOUR HEAD? YOU HAD NO TRUE PROTECTIVE GEAR ON."

BARBARA: "A GUN WAS POINTED AT MY HEAD MORE THAN ONCE IN THAT FIGHT BEFORE YOU CAME IN AND I WAS FIGHTING THEM OFF. IT'S NOT YOUR JOB TO PROTECT ME ANYWAY

GRAYSON: "RIGHT, SO I WAS JUST SUPPOSED TO LET YOU DIE?" (loud)

...

BARBARA: "I'M SORRY. THANK YOU."

GRAYSON: "WHAT WERE YOU DOING OUT THERE?"

BARBARA: "I WAS LOOKING FOR PRACTICE. I THOUGHT I WAS READY, THAT I COULD DO IT. ON MY OWN."

GRAYSON: "YOU DID HAVE SOME IMPRESSIVE MOVES IN THAT FIGHT."

BARBARA: "HOW MUCH DID YOU SEE BEFORE YOU CAME TO HELP?"

GRAYSON: "PRETTY MUCH ALL OF IT. I WAS ONLY PLANNING ON COMING IN WHEN IT GOT REALLY BAD, WHICH IT DID."

BARBARA: "RIGHT. I WASN'T ALWAYS ON THE COMPUTER WHEN I WAS A SHUT IN. I MADE MYSELF MY OWN PERSONAL GYM."

GRAYSON: "REALLY?"

BARBARA: "I DID GET A RUSH FROM LAST NIGHT. I DIDN'T FEEL PARALYZED WITH FEAR, WHICH FOR ME IS SAYING A LOT. ANXIETY AND FEAR HAVE RUN MY LIFE FOR THE PAST YEAR, AND I FEEL LIKE PEOPLE THINK I'M THE LAST PERSON CAPABLE OF DOING SOMETHING THIS. I KNOW BRUCE THINKS THAT."

GRAYSON: "WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT?"

BARBARA: "I'M A GIRL WITH A MASTERS IN COMPUTER SCIENCE. I'VE BEEN A SHUT-IN MY WHOLE LIFE. I DON'T THINK ANYBODY REALLY KNOWS ME OR WHAT I'M CAPABLE OF."

GRAYSON: "AND DONE."

He puts a Band-Aid on her head. She puts her glasses back on and smiles at him. He just stares at her.

GRAYSON: "I KNOW YOU ARE A VERY CAPABLE PERSON."

BARBARA: "THANKS. SO, SHOULD I GET USED TO INJURIES LIKE THIS?"

GRAYSON: "NO."

BARBARA: "WHAT?"

GRAYSON: "I...WE...CAN'T ALLOW YOU TO GO BACK OUT THERE. YOU'LL BE KILLED."

BARBARA: "ALRIGHT, THEN TRAIN ME. THE ONLY REASON I WENT ALONE IS BECAUSE I HAVEN'T BEEN GETTING ANY OFFERS TO BE A PART OF A TEAM."

GRAYSON:"I CAN'T... I WON'T."

BARBARA: "YOU WERE HAPPY TO USE MY SKILLS THE OTHER DAY."

GRAYSON: "I DIDN'T ASK FOR YOUR SKILLS."

BARBARA: "WHAT MAKES YOU SO DIFFERENT THAN ME? WHAT MAKES YOU SPECIAL? YOU MAY BE A PART OF HIS TEAM BUT YOU ARE NOTHING LIKE BRUCE."

GRAYSON: "MAYBE THAT'S NOT SUCH A BAD THING. ARE YOU FORGETTING HE LEFT YOU HERE, WHEN YOU NEEDED HIM. YOU IDOLIZE HIM WAY TOO MUCH... LOOK IF I SEE YOU OUT THERE AGAIN, I WILL DRAG YOU TO THE POLICE STATION MYSELF. HOW DO YOU THINK YOUR FATHER WOULD FEEL ABOUT HAVING HIS ONLY DAUGHTER BECOME A CRIMINAL?"

Grayson tries to open the door to leave, but Barbara slams it shut.

BARBARA: "YOU DON'T MENTION MY FATHER, EVER. UNDERSTAND? NOW, YOU CAN GET OUT OF MY HOUSE." (loud)

Grayson leaves her house. Barbara leans up against the door, in shock and shaking.

INT. EDWARD'S OFFICE- DAY

Barbara is having another therapy session. She is seated on the couch, Edward is in his chair.

EDWARD: "WHEN IS A PRIZE FIGHT A BEAUTIFUL LADY?

BARBARA: "WHEN SHE'S A KNOCKOUT." (quick)

EDWARD: "I'M IMPRESSED. THAT WAS FAST."

BARBARA: "MAYBE YOU NEED TO START GIVING ME HARDER QUESTIONS. I ENJOY CHALLENGES."

EDWARD: "I'LL REMEMBER THAT FOR NEXT TIME. HOW DO YOU FEEL ON THE MEDICATION?"

BARBARA: "IT'S BEEN GETTING BETTER. I'M SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT, BUT SOMETIMES I FEEL MORE JITTERY AND PANICKY, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. AT LEAST IT'S NOT LIKE AN ACID TRIP ANYMORE."

They both laugh.

EDWARD: "DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO BE ON A REAL ACID TRIP?"

BARBARA: "THANKFULLY, I DON'T."

EDWARD: "HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF I INCREASED YOUR DOSAGE A BIT?"

BARBARA: "UM...I GUESS, IF YOU THINK IT'S NECESSARY OR THAT IT WOULD HELP."

EDWARD: "ALRIGHT THEN. YOU SHOULDN'T NOTICE MUCH OF A CHANGE."

She nods her head and gives a small smile.

EDWARD: "IS THERE ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT TELLING ME, BARBARA?"

BARBARA: "SOMETHING TELLS ME YOU ALREADY KNOW THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION."

He leans in closer to her.

EDWARD: "I READ THE PAPER A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO. BRUCE WAYNE HAS BEEN ABSENT FOR QUITE SOMETIME IN GOTHAM. THEY SAY HE IS TAKING A LONG VACATION. I WONDER HOW HE COULD DO THAT WHEN HE IS SUPPOSED TO BE TAKING CARE OF YOU."

BARBARA: "I'M FINE ENOUGH TO TAKE CARE OF MYSELF NOW. I MOVED BACK HOME A LITTLE WHILE AGO, BUT THINGS ARE DIFFERENT NOW. I HAVE A JOB, I GET OUT, AND ALFRED CHECKS IN ON ME."

EDWARD: "WHY DID BRUCE LEAVE THOUGH?"

BARBARA: "I DON'T KNOW. HE DIDN'T SAY AND I HAVEN'T HEARD FROM HIM."

EDWARD: "ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT HIM?"

BARBARA: "NO HE'S...HE CAN TAKE OF HIMSELF."

EDWARD: "BUT IT HAS TO HURT THOUGH TOO, BEING LEFT."

BARBARA: "I MEAN I A LITTLE, BUT I'M MOVING ON."

EDWARD: "YOU'VE THOUGHT MORE ABOUT WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT?"

BARBARA: "YEAH I'M FINDING A WAY TO TAKE BACK SOME CONTROL."

EDWARD: "GOOD, TELL ME ABOUT."

BARBARA: "ACTUALLY, I THINK I'M GOING TO HOLD OFF ON TELLING YOU, FOR NOW."

EDWARD: "REALLY, WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?"

BARBARA: "I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU WILL FEEL ABOUT IT."

EDWARD: "ALRIGHT, YOU TELL ME WHEN YOU'RE READY. ANYTHING ELSE ON YOUR MIND?"

BARBARA: "THERE'S A GUY AND HE'S...

EDWARD: "IS HE A FRIEND?"

BARBARA: "HE'S GETTING ON MY NERVES ACTUALLY. HE'S A FRIEND OF BRUCE AND BRUCE TOLD HIM TO KEEP AN EYE ON ME. IT'S LIKE HAVING A BABYSITTER MY OWN AGE. I DON'T LIKE THE WAY HE TREATS ME SOMETIMES, BUT I WANT TO TRY AND GET ALONG WITH HIM. I WANT TO BE HIS FRIEND. I THINK THAT WOULD BE GOOD, FOR BOTH OF US."

EDWARD: "WELL I MEAN IF YOU'VE TRIED BEING FRIENDLY WITH THIS GUY AND IT'S NOT WORKING, THEN FORGET ABOUT HIM. YOU DON'T NEED ANYMORE NEGATIVITY IN YOUR LIFE. I NEVER GOT ANY SUPPORT GROWING UP. I HAD TO LEARN TO RELY ON MYSELF, BECAUSE I KNEW I COULD ALWAYS COUNT ON ME. I KNEW AT A YOUNG AGE I WASN'T LIVING UP TO MY FULL CAPABILITIES."

BARBARA: "I FEEL IT'S NO WAY TO LIVE, ONLY BEING PART OF YOURSELF. NOBODY SHOULD FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE TO HIDE A PART OF THEMSELVES FROM PEOPLE CLOSE TO THEM. WE SHOULD JUST BE ABLE TO LEAVE IT ALL OUT THERE."

EDWARD: "I LIKE YOUR PHILOSOPHY."

BARBARA: "YOU KNOW IT'S NICE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT YOU FOR A CHANGE, INSTEAD OF TALKING ABOUT MY PROBLEMS."

EDWARD: "OH REALLY?"

BARBARA: "WHAT I MEAN IS THAT I ENJOY HEARING MORE ABOUT WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY, NOT JUST IN REGARDS TO ME."

EDWARD: "THAT SOUNDS MORE LIKE A COMPLIMENT." (sigh)

Barbara stands up to leave, Edward follows her to the door.

EDWARD: "I HAVE TO TELL YOU BARBARA, THE TIME I HAVE WITH YOU DOESN'T ALWAYS FEEL LIKE A SESSION TO ME. IT FEELS LIKE A REAL CONVERSATION BETWEEN TWO INTELLIGENT PEOPLE. YOU'RE MORE FUN TO TALK TO THAN PEOPLE I KNOW, WHO AREN'T PATIENTS."

BARBARA: "I FIND THAT HARD TO BELIEVE."

EDWARD: "IT'S TRUE, I REALLY MEAN IT. DON'T LET ANYONE UNDERMINE YOUR POTENTIAL."

BARBARA: "I'M REALLY GLAD YOU'RE A PART OF MY LIFE. YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS BEEN TRULY SUPPORTIVE. THANK YOU."

Edward leans in and kisses Barbara, she kisses back and then pulls away.

EDWARD: "I'M SORRY, THAT WASN'T APPROPRIATE."

(sigh)

BARBARA: "I'M SORRY."

She just looks up at him confused and surprised. She looks like she about to say something to him, but doesn't. She opens the door to leave.

BARBARA: "I'LL SEE YOU NEXT WEEK."

INT. BARBARA'S HOUSE- NIGHT

Edward breaks into Barbara's home; her medication keeps her from waking up. He sees the pill bottle on her nightstand. He spots her batarang on the nightstand too. He is about to leave her house but then decides to turn around and is just standing over her bed and watches her sleep, then he smiles.

Later, Barbara wakes up in the middle of the night gasping for breath. She begins to look around her room and the rest of the house to make sure no one else is in the house. She notices a photo slightly moved on a table. She looks confused and slightly frightened.

INT. GOTHAM CITY UNIVERSITY: PROFESSOR'S OFFICE-NIGHT

A university professor wakes up in his office, seated at his desk. He tries to move but he is tied to his chair by his legs. His arms are chained too, but he has some slack. He looks up and sees a gift box wrapped in green paper with black ribbon. He opens it. Inside there is a timer attached to a rubix cube bomb. The professor has five minutes to solve the cube before it blows up. He solves it a the last second and is relieved. But when he looks up he sees a pile of gift boxes up against the door. (Zoom out from the office and we see an explosion from the hallway and everyone in the building runs away.)

Later, Commissioner Yindel, Officer Montoya and the police arrive at the scene.

MONTOYA: "NOBODY SAW ANYONE SUSPICIOUS COME IN OR OUT. AND STRANGELY ALL THE CAMERAS HAVE BEEN DOWN THE PAST COUPLE OF DAYS."

YINDEL: "HE CAME IN THROUGH THE BACK."

Yindel walks over the emergency exit, because she sees something wedged in the door. Montoya follows her.

MONTOYA: "HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT?"

Yindel pulls out the object out of the door. It's a newspaper and on the front page is the former professor. The article is about him winning a professor of the year award. At the end of the sentence a giant green question mark replacing the exclamation point.

EXT. CITY STREET- NIGHT

Batgirl is scaling buildings with some new equipment. She loses her grip at one point but catches herself.

BATGIRL: "OOH, OK. LET'S NOT DO THAT AGAIN."

She leaps off a tall building and all goes well until her rope snaps mid-descent. She screams as she is falling. Nightwing swoops in to catch her. They land on a fire escape. Batgirl is a little frazzled.

NIGHTWING: "ARE YOU ALRIGHT?"

She's trying to catch her breath.

BATGIL: "OH GOD YOU."

NIGHTWING: "YOU'RE LUCKY I WAS HERE TO CUT THE ROPE YOU WERE USING. EITHER YOU WOULD HAVE LOST YOUR HANDS OR DISLOCATED YOUR ARMS ONCE THE ROPE WAS TAUGHT."

She's bent down still and looks up.

BATGIRL: "YOU CUT MY ROPE?"

She walks over and pushes him.

BATGIRL: "WHAT THE HELL'S THE MATTER WITH YOU? ARE YOU CRAZY?"

NIGHTWING: "I'M SORRY FOR THIS."

BATGIRL: "FOR WHAT?"

Nightwing hits her with sleeping gas.

BATGIRL: "OH." (coughing)

She falls into Nightwing's arms, passed out.

INT. BATCAVE-NIGHT.

Later, Barbara wakes up in the Bat Cave. Grayson gives her a tour of the operations.

GRAYSON: "I HAD TO KNOCK YOU OUT TO AVOID YOU KNOWING WHERE THIS IS AND HOW TO GET IN."

BARBARA: "YOU KNOW MY FIRST THOUGHT WHEN I WOKE UP WAS THAT I WAS AT THE POLICE STATION."

GRAYSON: "YOU KNOW I WOULDN'T DO THAT TO YOU."

BARBARA: "DO I?"

GRAYSON: "I WAS JUST MAD. I THINK I JUST NEED A FRIEND RIGHT NOW."

BARBARA: "OH, SO THIS IS HOW YOU TREAT YOUR FRIENDS... THIS IS INCREDIBLE...I HAVE JUST ONE QUESTION FOR YOU."

GRAYSON: "WHAT?"

BARBARA: "WHY DID HE LEAVE YOU WITH ALL THIS ON YOUR OWN AND ALL THIS RESPONSIBILITY?"

GRAYSON: "LATELY, I'VE BEEN ASKING MYSELF THE SAME QUESTION. I GUESS HE WANTED ME TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS, ON MY OWN, WITHOUT HIS HELP. JUST IN CASE...SOMETIMES I DON'T THINK BRUCE IS LOOKING FOR PARTNERS.I THINK HE'S LOOKING FOR REPLACEMENTS; FOR THE INEVITABLE FUTURE."

BARBARA: "I THINK HE FORGETS THAT ASKING FOR HELP DOESN'T MAKE HIM WEAK...DO YOU THINK I'M CRAZY TO WANT TO BE A PART OF THIS?"

He pauses before he answers.

GRAYSON: "YES, BUT I THINK YOU HAVE TO BE A LITTLE CRAZY TO DO WHAT WE DO...I WANT TO TRUST YOU AND MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY FOR WHY IS THIS SO IMPORTANT TO YOU? WHY DO YOU WANT TO BE HERE?"

BARBARA: "I DON'T KNOW, I MEAN I BELIEVE I'M CAPABLE, SO WHY NOT? GOTHAM REALLY DOES NEEDS ALL THE HELP IT CAN GET, RIGHT?"

GRAYSON: "I THINK YOU CAN GIVE ME A BETTER ANSWER THAN THAT. SLEEP ON IT."

He knocks her out once more with sleeping gas. Later, Barbara wakes up at home, in her bed. While lying in bed, notices a note on her stomach. It's a drawing of two bats and bird. She places the note on her nightstand and stares at it, smiling.

INT. BALLROOM CHARITY EVENT- NIGHT

Dr. Nashton is holding an event to raise money for the fallen museum and Gotham. A journalist is interviewing Dr. Nashton.

JOURNALIST: "I THINK IT'S WONDERFUL WHAT YOU ARE DOING FOR THE CITY DR. NASHTON."

EDWARD: "WELL THANK YOU. AFTER ALL, WHAT'S HAPPENING IS TERRIBLE AND WE ALL DO LIVE HERE. I THINK ALL CITIZENS OF THIS FINE CITY NEED TO DO OUR PART IN ANY WAY WE CAN. ALTHOUGH BRUCE WAYNE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE DOING MUCH THESE DAYS."

JOURNALIST: "DO YOU FEEL THAT IT'S NOW YOUR TURN TO BE IN HIS SPOTLIGHT."

(laughing)

EDWARD: "WELL, I HOPE SO."

He starts to laugh a lot. He then see Barbara arrive with Grayson.

EDWARD: "EXCUSE ME."

He walks over towards the couple.

EDWARD: "I'M GLAD YOU COULD MAKE IT BARBARA."

BARBARA: "WELL THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME. THIS IS MY FRIEND DICK GRAYSON."

GRAYSON: "NICE TO MEET YOU."

EDWARD: "LIKEWISE, WELL YOU TWO ENJOY YOURSELVES. I'LL SEE YOU LATER BARBARA, THE PRESS JUST DOESN'T SEEM TO WANT TO LEAVE ME ALONE TONIGHT."

Edward walks away over to a table of journalists.

GRAYSON: "HOW DO YOU KNOW HIM?"

BARBARA: "HE'S MY PSYCHIATRIST. HE WAS ASSIGNED TO ME... BEFORE I LEFT THE HOSPITAL. DON'T WORRY, HE DOESN'T KNOW EVERYTHING."

GRAYSON: "WELL, I WOULD HOPE NOT."

BARBARA: "I'M GETTING THE FEELING YOU DON'T LIKE HIM, DO YOU?"

GRAYSON: "I DON'T REALLY KNOW HIM."

Barbara leans in.

BARBARA: "YOU'RE NOT GOING TO OFFEND ME BY SAYING SOMETHING ABOUT HIM."

(whispers)

GRAYSON: "I'VE SEEN HIM ON TV AND IN THE PAPER A FEW TIMES. HE SEEMS SO PHONY, LIKE HE'S HIDING SOMETHING."

BARBARA: "PEOPLE HIDING THINGS ABOUT THEMSELVES IS A FOREIGN CONCEPT FOR YOU (SARCASTIC)... THIS IS GOTHAM, YOU'RE NOT A TRUE CITIZEN WITHOUT A FEW SKELETONS IN YOUR CLOSET."

GRAYSON: "AND WHAT SKELETONS DO YOU HAVE?"

BARBARA: "ME? WELL, I HAVEN'T LIVED HERE LONG ENOUGH."

GRAYSON: "WEREN'T YOU BORN HERE?"

They both laugh.

GRAYSON: "BUT SERIOUSLY, THERE'S SOMETHING OFF ABOUT HIM, RIGHT?"

BARBARA: "I KNOW HE CAN BE VERY ECCENTRIC AND SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE I CAN'T QUITE FIGURE HIM OUT. THERE IS SOMETHING A LITTLE STRANGE ABOUT HIM."

GRAYSON: "ARE YOU HOLDING SOMETHING BACK?"

BARBARA: "NO, NO. DR. NASHTON HAS BEEN A BIG HELP FOR ME LATELY."

There is an awkward pause.

BARBARA: "DO YOU WANT TO DANCE?"

GRAYSON: "SURE."

Later, Edward is off to the side watching people dance. When Carl approaches him.

CARL: "GREAT PARTY, DOC."

EDWARD: "THANK YOU CARL. I HAVEN'T SEEN YOU IN A WHILE. HOW ARE YOU?"

CARL: "I'M DOING FINE DOCTOR, THANKS FOR ASKING. YOU KNOW IT WAS A REAL SHAME ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MUSEUM."

EDWARD: "YES IT WAS."

CARL: "AND WHAT HAPPENED TO JASON WAS A REAL SHAME. HE TOLD ME THE DAY BEFORE HOW HE COULDN'T WAIT TO HELP YOU. BUT OF COURSE HE DIDN'T THINK HE WOULD BE KILLED." (whispers)

EDWARD: "JASON ALWAYS WAS SAYING THINGS THAT WERE UNTRUE. HE WAS DISTURBED CARL, YOU KNOW I COULDN'T HELP HIM. "

CARL: "SURE YOU DID. YOU'RE THE GREAT DR. NASHTON, THERE ISN'T ANYTHING YOU CAN'T DO. LOOK I WON'T TELL, ALL I WANT ARE SOME SCRIPTS. YOU CAN DO THAT FOR AN OLD PATIENT, RIGHT EDWARD?"

EDWARD: "I GUESS I DON'T HAVE A CHOICE."

CARL: "BRING THEM TO MY APARTMENT MONDAY."

EDWARD: "I'LL SEE YOU MONDAY CARL. NOW, GO HOME." (stern)

Edward stares down Carl until he leaves. He then continues to watch Barbara and Grayson dance, while sipping some champagne.

INT. ABANDONED CIRCUS-NIGHT

After the dance, Grayson takes Barbara inside an abandoned circus. They are standing center stage.

BARBARA: "WHY DID YOU BRING ME HERE?"

GRAYSON: "THIS IS WHERE MY PARENTS WERE KILLED."

BARBARA: "I'M SORRY GRAYSON."

GRAYSON: "I OWN IT NOW, SO THIS PLACE COULD STAY UNTOUCHED. BRUCE HELPED WITH THAT. COME ON, THE VIEW IS BETTER FROM THE TOP."

He puts up the netting and then takes her to the tightrope landing platform. They sit on the edge with their feet dangling above the net.

BARBARA: "IT AMAZES ME THAT YOU COULD COME HERE AFTER EVERYTHING. I CAN'T GO NEAR MY OLD APARTMENT...DOES IT GET EASIER?"

GRAYSON: "I'VE HAD A CHANCE AT CLOSURE. I DON'T THINK YOU'VE HAD THE SAME OPPORTUNITY YET."

BARBARA: "WHAT DO I NEED? THE MEN WENT TO PRISON."

GRAYSON: "BRUCE WAS REALLY THERE FOR ME AFTER THEY DIED. HAVING SOMEONE DEPENDABLE FOR SUPPORT HELPED ME MORE THAN KNOWING MY PARENTS' MURDERER DIED."

BARBARA: "DO YOU STILL THINK I HAVE A CHANCE?"

GRAYSON: "YES. I THINK THAT'S ENOUGH TALKING, NOW..."

He stands up and grabs the swing.

GRAYSON: "WANT TO SWING?"

He gives her the swing as she stands on the edge of the platform. He stands behind her with one hand on her waist and the other on the swing. He shows her how to stand, then makes her take the swing with both hands and jump. After a few times of her hanging on the swing, Grayson goes to the other side to help her do a flying transfer.

BARBARA: "ARE YOU SURE I CAN DO THIS?"

GRAYSON: "YEAH, COME ON."

She jumps and gets in position for the catch. She doesn't grab his hand on the first one, but is close. On the next swing she grabs his hands. She is now swinging while holding onto his forearms. She looks up at each him and they smile at each other. They come back to the landing.

BARBARA: "DO YOU REALLY WANT TO BE MY FRIEND OR DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE SOME SORT OF OBLIGATION?"

GRAYSON: "BARBARA, I DON'T WANT TO BE JUST YOUR FRIEND. WHAT ABOUT YOU?"

BARBARA: "NOW, HOW WOULD THAT WORK? WE DON'T REALLY GET ALONG THAT WELL. WHAT ELSE DO WE HAVE IN COMMON OTHER THAN ALL OF THIS?"

GRAYSON: "YOU ARE THE ONLY PERSON I CAN TALK TO ABOUT ALL THIS, AND IT'S NOT JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE INVOLVED. I LIKE TALKING TO YOU AND SPENDING TIME WITH YOU, EVEN IF SOME OF THE SITUATIONS AREN'T IDEAL. I KNOW WE DON'T ALWAYS SEE EYE TO EYE ALL OF THE TIME. TO ME THAT JUST MAKES IT MORE FUN."

She kisses him. He kisses her back.

INT. CARL'S APARTMENT-EVENING

Edward arrives at Carl's front door and knocks. Carl answers the door.

CARL: "COME ON IN EDWARD. I'M GLAD YOU ARE BEING VERY COOPERATIVE."

EDWARD:"ME TOO."

Carl has his back turned and Edward injects him with medication and he passes out. Edward stands over him.

EDWARD: "CARL, YOU ARE GOING TO HELP ME SET A TRAP."

Edward grabs Carl's legs and drags him out of the room.

EXT. BOOKSTORE- DAY

Grayson is walking down the street and sees a book signing with Dr. Edward Nashton. Grayson decides to go in. Edward is mostly looking down signing the books. Grayson is next in line.

EDWARD: "AND WHO AM I MAKING THIS OUT TO?"

GRAYSON: "DICK GRAYSON."

Edward lifts his head up.

EDWARD: "OH I REMEMBER YOU FROM THE PARTY RIGHT? YOU WERE WITH BARBARA."

GRAYSON: "THAT'S ME. IT'S NICE TO SEE YOU'RE NOT TOO BIG TO CONNECT WITH US REGULAR PEOPLE. OR IS THIS JUST ANOTHER PUBLICITY STUNT?"

EDWARD: "YOU KNOW DICK IT SEEMS TO ME YOU HAVE A LOT OF BUILT UP ANGER. DOES IT PERHAPS STEM FROM ANY CHILDHOOD TRAUMA?" (sigh)

GRAYSON: "WHAT, YOU'RE GOING TO DIAGNOSE ME NOW DOC?"

EDWARD: "NO, THAT WILL COST YOU. I JUST SUGGEST YOU READ MY BOOK. THIS IS ON ME."

Edward smirks at him. Grayson grabs the book and leaves.

INT. EDWARD'S OFFICE- NIGHT

Edward is working in his office. He has his TV on, with the news.

REPORTER: "AND BREAKING NEWS TONIGHT IN GOTHAM, ANOTHER MURDER HAS TAKEN PLACE BY THE MYSTERIOUS SERIAL KILLER. THIS TIME A WOMAN. WE CAN NOT REVEAL HER IDENTITY AT THIS TIME. WE HAVE A WORD FROM COMMISSIONER YINDEL, ON THE SCENE."

YINDEL: "WELL IT'S VERY FRIGHTENING FOR THE CITY. THIS MURDERER SEEMS TO BE PICKING ANYONE, BUT BY HIM LEAVING CLUES AFTER EVERY MURDER WE ARE CLOSE TO CATCHING THIS GUY SOON."

REPORTER: "AND WE WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT NO ONE SHOULD WALK ALONE AT NIGHT, ALWAYS IN A GROUP. WE WILL CONTINUE TO KEEP YOU COVERED ON ANYTHING RELATING TO THIS SERIAL KILLER."

After seeing this, Edward breaks his TV and throws stuff everywhere. He starts to get hysterical and mutters to himself. His receptionist walks in.

RECEPTIONIST: "DR. NASHTON, THERE'S A CALL FOR YOU. ARE YOU ALRIGHT? OH MY GOD, WHAT HAPPENED IN HERE?"

He's still talking to himself.

RECEPTIONIST: "WHAT ARE YOU CRAZY?" (concerned/angry)

EDWARD: "DON'T CALL ME THAT." (whispers)

RECEPTIONIST: "WHAT?"

EDWARD: "I SAID DON'T CALL ME THAT!"

The receptionist is frightened and then flees the room. Edward then answers the phone.

EDWARD: "THIS IS DR. NASHTON." (calm)

INT. EDWARD'S OFFICE- DAY

Barbara has another therapy session. They are already halfway through the session.

EDWARD: "WELL, BARBARA I THINK WE HAVE TALKED ENOUGH ABOUT YOUR MOTHER, LET'S TALK ABOUT YOUR FATHER FOR A CHANGE. HE IS STILL IN TREATMENT, CORRECT?

BARBARA: "YES."

EDWARD: "WERE YOU CLOSE BEFORE?"

BARBARA: "YES, I MEAN OUR RELATIONSHIP WASN'T THE GREATEST. WE WEREN'T TOO CLOSE WHEN I MOVED AWAY FOR SCHOOL. I LOVED MY FATHER, BUT I WAS MAD AT HIM. I THINK HE EXPECTED ME TO LEAD THIS SAFE LIFE OPPOSITE OF HIM, BUT I DON'T THINK HE REALIZED HOW SIMILAR WE ARE. HE INSPIRED ME IN A LOT OF WAYS."

EDWARD: "WELL I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT. I WAS NEVER CLOSE TO MY FATHER. I DON'T THINK WE UNDERSTOOD EACH OTHER. HE WAS VERY ABUSIVE AND HE THOUGHT VERY LITTLE OF ME. WHEN I WAS EIGHTEEN I WAS SO HAPPY TO LEAVE AND NEVER SEE HIM AGAIN."

BARBARA: "YOU REALLY HAVEN'T SEEN YOUR FATHER SINCE THEN? HE MUST HAVE BEEN AWFUL."

Edward's hands start to shake a little.

BARBARA: "EDWARD, ARE YOU OK?"

EDWARD: "I'M FINE, SORRY. HE WAS JUST A SON OF A BITCH."

BARBARA: "DO YOU THINK YOU AND YOUR FATHER WILL EVER SPEAK AGAIN?"

EDWARD: "NO, HE DIED A FEW YEARS AGO."

BARBARA: "I'M SORRY."

EDWARD: "DON'T BE, HE DOESN'T DESERVE IT."

Barbara just looks at him strangely and nods her head.

Later, she is leaving Edward's office, and is on the street. She stands over by the corner of the building and gets on her phone. It goes to voice-mail.

BARBARA: "HI DAD, IT'S ME. UM I WAS CALLING TO SEE YOU WERE DOING. I'M DOING GOOD. I'M A LOT BETTER THAN I WAS. BECAUSE IT WAS REALLY BAD BEFORE MORE THAN YOU KNOW. UM BUT, I'M DOING REALLY GOOD. I MISS YOU. I THINK THE WHOLE CITY DOES. YOU JUST NEED TO GET BETTER AND COME HOME OK. I LOVE YOU DAD."

She hangs up the phone and starts to cry a little more. She composes herself and walks to her car.

INT. BATCAVE-NIGHT.

Alfred and Grayson are both at the computer looking at live surveillance footage of the city.

ALFRED: "THERE APPEARS TO BE SOME SORT OF ACTIVITY OVER BY THE DOCKS."

GRAYSON: "WHAT DO YOU MEAN?"

ALFRED: "THERE'S A GREEN GLOW OVER THE AREA."

GRAYSON: "IT'S HIM. I'M GOING."

ALFRED: "HE'S LURING YOU THERE. DON'T YOU THINK THIS COULD BE A TRAP?"

GRAYSON: "THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY TO FIND OUT."

He opens the rotating door to his suit.

EXT. DOCKS- NIGHT

It's beginning to rain hard. Nightwing gets off his cycle and walks over to the green glow. Nightwing gets a closer look. The green glow is coming from a slit between two 15 ft. walls. The opening is large enough for Nightwing to fit through. An audio voice over comes on as Nightwing approaches the entrance.

VOICEOVER: "I'VE MADE SURE THE PERILS ARE QUITE LETHAL. YOU HAVE EIGHT MINUTES TO SAVE CARL. OH AND DO BE CAREFUL, AFTER ALL CURIOSITY KILLED THE BAT."

Once Nightwing crosses the threshold, a large crate is dropped behind him blocking the exit. He notices more cratesabove him that are about to drop. He takes one step forward. He looks up and notices the crate, directly above him, drops a few feet. He starts to run as the crate drops right behind him. He turns the corner and notices there's is no floor, but just green toxic sludge. Nightwing uses his grapple to try and get a hold of a pipe. He latches on and tries to swing over it, but part of the pipe breaks. He is dangling a few inches above the slime. He manages to get a hold of another pipe, but none of the pipes can support his weight, fully. He tries to reach for the wall and notices that it's covered in needles. While he holds on to the top edge of the wall and tries to move across, he gets stabbed a few times. He painfully makes his way across the wall and into the next obstacle. He then encounters a door with a computer attached to it. He must answer ten riddles on it and if he gets one wrong an electric current will run through the room giving Nightwing a shock (the screen tells him this). The more questions he gets wrong the higher the voltage reaching the max voltage will kill him. He answers the first question correctly, but the second and third incorrectly. The voltage shocks him for the incorrect answers, one worse than the other. The shocks don't go through the suit to bad but still hurt Nightwing. He gets the fourth and fifth question right, but again gets six, seven, eight, nine wrong. The electricity brings Nightwing to the ground. He can barely get up to answer the last question. If he gets it wrong, the electric current will kill him. Thankfully, he gets the last question right and the door opens. He walks into the next room and sees Carl strapped to a table with a gag in his mouth and restraints on his hands and legs.

VOICEOVER: "YOU HAVE MADE IT TO THE END OF THE MAZE AND FOUND CARL WITH ENOUGH TIME FOR ONE MORE RIDDLE. CAN YOU SWIM IN THAT SUIT WHILE CARRYING CARL TO SAFETY?"

The floor falls out and both men fall into the water. The door closes back up. Nightwing swims down to Carl, who is still attached to the table. He is able to cut his restraints and pull him off the table. Nightwing is struggling to swim up with both their weights. They reach the surface but the water is very chopping, because of the storm. A wave hits them immediately and Nightwing drops Carl. Nightwing is struggling alone to stay afloat in the suit. He tries to find Carl, but he can't see him. Sometime has passed and Nightwing makes it to shore, gasping for breath. The rain has subsided. Nightwing makes it back to the docks. He sees a figure in the distance that he thinks is Riddler.

NIGHTWING: "OK, ASSHOLE."

Nightwing rushes over to his cycle and grabs a large weapon.

NIGHTWING: "I GOT SOMETHING FOR YOU."

He fires it at the figure and it blows up. He realizes that shouldn't have happened and runs over to see what is going on. As he gets closer he sees that he started a trail of fire leading to the warehouses on the docks. The warehouses begin to go in flames. When gets to the figure he sees that is was a cardboard cut-out with an explosive attached to it. He hears people screaming from inside the warehouse. He is able to grab a couple of people and get them out. As he is leaving he stills hears more screaming from another warehouse, but by the time he tries to help, the warehouse completely collapses. He hears the sirens coming and leaves.

INT. BARBARA'S HOUSE- NIGHT

Nightwing weakly knocks on Barbara's front door. He's soaking wet and still in his gear. Barbara is on her computer sitting on a chair in her living room. She gets up and answers the door.

BARBARA: "GRAYSON. OH MY GOD, WHAT HAPPENED? COME IN HERE. SIT BY THE FIRE. I'LL GET YOU A TOWEL."

Barbara quickly grabs a towel from the closet and gives it to Nightwing. He sits huddled by the fire.

BARBARA: "TALK TO ME. TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED."

GRAYSON: "I COULDN'T SAVE ANYONE. I TRIED TO SAVE EVERYONE, BUT I COULDN'T GET TO THEM IN TIME. THEY'RE ALL DEAD AND IT'S MY FAULT." (crying)

BARBARA: "NO, YOU TRIED. YOU DID ALL YOU COULD. NOBODY CAN ASK ANY MORE FROM YOU. IT'S OK."

She holds him.

BARBARA: "JUST STAY HERE TONIGHT, OK? I'LL LET ALFRED KNOW. YOU CAN WEAR SOME OF MY DAD'S OLD CLOTHES TONIGHT. HIS ROOM IS DOWN THE HALL ON THE RIGHT."

GRAYSON: "THANK YOU."

BARBARA: "THAT'S WHAT I'M HERE FOR."

She gives him a quick kiss.

BARBARA: "I THINK I'M GOING TO GO TO BED NOW TOO. JUST LET ME KNOW IF YOU NEED ANYTHING."

Later, after Barbara has already gone to bed. Grayson decides to stay in the living room just staring at the fireplace. Barbara walks into the room seeming dazed.

GRAYSON: "OH HI, SORRY. I COULDN'T SLEEP. I WAS JUST...ARE YOU OK?"

BARBARA: "I HEARD SOMEONE TRYING TO BREAK IN. I KEPT HEARING NOISES. SOMEONE IS TRYING TO GET IN HERE." (panicked)

GRAYSON: "BARBARA, I'VE BEEN AWAKE THIS WHOLE TIME. I DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING."

BARBARA: "BUT I HEARD IT. I'M NOT MAKING IT UP." (loud/upset)

GRAYSON: "BARBARA, IT'S ALRIGHT. NOTHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN. ARE YOU OK, YOU LOOK OFF. YOU'RE SHAKING A LOT."

BARBARA: "I DON'T KNOW. I FEEL WEIRD." (upset)

GRAYSON: "YOU SHOULD GO BACK TO BED. I'LL STAY WITH YOU TILL YOU FALL ASLEEP, COME ON."

He puts his arm around her and takes her back to her room. They lay down in her bed facing each other and fall asleep.

EXT. ROOFTOP OF POLICE DEPARTMENT-NIGHT

Commissioner Yindel is waiting on the rooftop. Nightwing shows up.

YINDEL: "WHEN GORDON LEFT, I DIDN'T KNOW HOW I WAS GOING TO DO TAKING HIS PLACE. I DIDN'T AGREE WITH HOW HE HANDLED BATMAN AND YOU. I THOUGHT HIS RELIANCE ON YOU TWO MADE HIM WEAK...THAT FIRE LAST NIGHT WASN'T STARTED BY RIDDLER, WAS IT?"

NIGHTWING: "NO, IT WAS AN ACCIDENT. I'M SORRY."

YINDEL: "I CAN'T KEEP YOU ON THIS CASE ANY LONGER. GOTHAM PD WILL DO THIS ON OUR OWN."

NIGHTWING: "JUST THINK ABOUT THIS FOR A MINUTE. WE HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF CATCHING HIM IF WE WORK TOGETHER."

YINDEL: "NIGHTWING, I HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT THIS, SINCE IT STARTED. I DON'T HAVE ANY CONFIDENCE IN YOUR ABILITIES. THOSE DEATHS LAST NIGHT, AFFIRMED THAT FOR ME. I'VE TAKEN MEASURES SO YOU WILL BE UNABLE TO ACCESS INFORMATION ON THE CASE."

NIGHTWING: "LOOK I KNOW THAT I'VE MADE MISTAKES."

YINDEL: "I CAN'T, I WON'T DO IT ANYMORE. IT'S NOT WORKING. FOR AS LONG AS I AM STILL IN CHARGE. GOTHAM PD WILL BE HANDLING CRIMES. THIS IS THE LAST TIME I WILL TURN THE SIGNAL ON FOR YOU."

Police start to rush up the staircase to arrest Nightwing. Nightwing jumps off the rooftop before than can reach him. He is moving from rooftop to rooftop. Commissioner pulls her gun out and is ready to fire, but she loses track of him.

OFFICER: "DO YOU WANT US TO FIND HIM?"

YINDEL: "LET HIM GO TONIGHT. HE'LL MAKE ANOTHER APPEARANCE."

Commissioner walks away from the edge and heads back inside. Montoya is standing on the rooftop towards the door.

MONTOYA: "YOU KNOW I DON'T SUPPORT THIS."

YINDEL: "THEN RESIGN, OFFICER. GORDON ISN'T HERE RIGHT NOW AND WE DON'T KNOW IF HE'S COMING BACK. WE DO THINGS MY WAY NOW. DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT?"

Yindel walks away.

INT. BATCAVE-DAY

Grayson and Alfred are in the Batcave at the computer. They are trying to get access to the police database, but it's blocked.

GRAYSON: "NOW I KNOW I'M CAPABLE OF CRACKING LOTS OF CODES, BUT THIS IS FAR BEYOND MY REACH. I CAN'T GET IT." (frustrated)

ALFRED: "THIS IS VERY ADVANCED STUFF. I SUGGEST YOU LOOK FOR SOMEONE WHO MIGHT HAVE MAJORED IN THIS SORT OF FIELD. SOMEONE WHO WE KNOW IS CAPABLE OF THIS SORT OF ILLEGAL ACTIVITY." (wink)

Later that day, Barbara is invited to the batcave. She enters via elevator and is guided to an office by lights on the floor. She sits at an open chair at a desk. Alfred and Grayson sit across from her.

BARBARA: "ARE GUYS CONDUCTING AN INTERVIEW?" (jokingly)

GRAYSON AND ALFRED: "YES."

GRAYSON: "YOU ARE A HIGHLY SKILLED HACKER, IS THAT FAIR TO SAY?"

BARBARA: "YES."

GRAYSON: "YOU HAVE USED YOUR SKILLS FOR ILLEGAL ACTIVITY?"

BARBARA: "YES."

GRAYSON: "EVER BEEN CAUGHT?"

BARBARA: "NO AND I DON'T THINK I WILL."

ALFRED: "YOU SOUND PRETTY CONFIDENT"

GRAYSON: "MORE LIKE ARROGANT IF YOU ASK ME. I'M GOING TO MAKE A NOTE OF THAT."

He writes something down on a notepad.

BARBARA: "OK SERIOUSLY, AM I IN OR NOT?"

GRAYSON: "GOTHAM P.D. IS LEAVING ME OUT OF THE LOOP AND I NEED YOUR HELP GETTING A HOLD OF THE CASE FILES."

BARBARA: "YOU NEED ME TO HACK INTO THE POLICE DATABASE TO GET THE FILES?"

GRAYSON: "THAT'S THE IDEA. DO YOU THINK YOU CAN DO IT?"

BARBARA:"I'VE ALREADY DONE IT." ALFRED: "LOOKS LIKE YOU WILL NEED A SUIT."

BARBARA: "REALLY?" (excited)

They leave the room and walk over to Alfred's desk. Alfred turns on the computer and opens up some suit designs.

ALFRED: "I'VE NEVER DESIGNED ONE FOR A WOMAN BEFORE, AND IT'S GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME TO MAKE. IN THE MEANTIME DON'T GO OUT THERE UNTIL GRAYSON SAYS YOU'RE READY."

Barbara pulls out some sketches out of her bag.

BARBARA: "DONE DEAL. I'VE SEEN THE DESIGNS FOR BRUCE'S AND GRAYSON'S SUITS, AND I DREW UP ONE OF MY OWN."

GRAYSON: "HOW HAVE YOU SEEN THE OLD SUITS? THEY ARE IN A LOCKED FILE. ALL OF THE EQUIPMENT IS. I THOUGHT THEY WERE SECURE."

BARBARA: "PLEASE." (sarcastic)

Grayson gives her a look.

BARBARA: "SORRY."

She puts her head down.

ALFRED: "NOW THE COLOR, I'M ASSUMING ALL BLACK...

She smiles.

BARBARA: "AND PURPLE." (she interrupts)

GRAYSON: "I'M NOT JUST ASKING FOR YOUR HELP ON THIS. I'M OFFICIALLY RECRUITING YOU. WELCOME ABOARD BATGIRL."

He puts out his hand; she embraces it with hers.

EXT. CITY STREET-NIGHT

Alfred is running some errands one night by himself. He is about to get into his car. A masked man walks up behind him.

EDWARD:"DON'T MOVE."

He puts a gun against Alfred's back.

ALFRED: "THE MONEY IS IN MY FRONT LEFT POCKET."

EDWARD: "I DON'T WANT YOUR MONEY. I JUST WANT TO ASK YOU A QUESTION. WHAT IS THE BEGINNING OF ETERNITY, THE END OF TIME AND SPACE OF EVERY END AND THE END OF EVERY RACE?"

ALFRED: "WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM..." (interrupts)

EDWARD: "I TOLD YOU I WANT THE ANSWER TO MY RIDDLE. 3...2...1."

ALFRED: "THE LETTER E. THE ANSWER IS E." (nervous)

Edward gets frustrated and puts his hands to his head. He doesn't say anything, but he's breathing heavy. He points the gun back at Alfred. Alfred keeps still the whole time. Edward gets up real close.

EDWARD: "I PITY YOU OLD MAN. I HOPE I NEVER LIVE AS LONG AS YOU. BE ALERT FOR NEXT TIME."

Edward takes off by the time Alfred turns around. Alfred leans up against his car and gives a big sigh of relief.

INT. BATCAVE-NIGHT

Grayson and Barbara are sitting at the large computer.

GRAYSON: "YOU KNOW I'M SURPRISED THAT YOU HAVEN'T FOUND THIS LOCATION YOURSELF."

BARBARA: "OH, I HAVE. I JUST WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO GET IN HERE. I WAS PRETTY SURE I WOULD EASILY GET CAUGHT. I KNOW BRUCE WAS CLEVER. IT WASN'T GOING TO BE EASY."

GRAYSON: "HOW DID YOU FIGURE OUT IT WAS BRUCE ANYWAY?"

BARBARA: "I LISTENED TO MY FATHER TALKING TO BATMAN ON THE RADIO ALL THE TIME. I HEARD BATMAN REVEAL HIS IDENTITY. THEN IT ALL MADE SENSE AFTER THAT. HE WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO COULD BUY ALIBIS, AND AFFORD TO HAVE AND HIDE ALL THIS. I'M SURPRISED MORE PEOPLE HAVEN'T FIGURED IT OUT."

GRAYSON: "DO YOU THINK THE KILLER KNOWS HIS IDENTITY?"

BARBARA: "I DON'T HAVE MUCH TO GO OFF, BUT MY GUT TELLS ME YES. THIS PERSON IS A FEW STEPS AHEAD OF US. I THINK WE HAVE BEEN UNDERESTIMATING HIM A LOT."

GRAYSON: "WE SHOULD GET STARTED."

She logs into the computer and sees the blocking on the database. She plugs her hard-drive into the computer.

BARBARA: "I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THIS COMPUTER CAN'T GET INTO THE DATABASE. IT REALLY CAN'T BE THAT HARD."

GRAYSON: "I THOUGHT THE SAME AS YOU. I THOUGHT MAYBE THEY BOUGHT THE SOFTWARE FROM AN EXPERT. SOMEONE LIKE YOU."

BARBARA: "WELL, THEY DIDN'T GET IT FROM ME."

GRAYSON: "DO YOU KNOW ANYBODY THAT MIGHT HAVE?"

BARBARA: "IT'S NOT ANYONE FROM MY GROUP. THEY DON'T REALLY LIKE TO HELP COPS."

GRAYSON: "YOU FRIENDS WITH PEOPLE FROM ANONYMOUS?" (joking)

BARBARA: "I AM ACTUALLY, BUT I FEEL LIKE THE ONLY PERSON I CAN THINK OF TO HAVE MOTIVE TO DO THIS, IS THE ONE THAT WANTS HIS SECRETS HIDDEN."

GRAYSON: "RIDDLER, BUT HOW DID HE GIVE IT TO THE POLICE?"

BARBARA: "HE PROBABLY HIRED SOMEONE."

GRAYSON: "DO YOU THINK THERE'S A CHANCE THAT WITH THIS SOFTWARE, IT'S GIVEN HIM ACCESS TO THE DATABASE TOO?"

BARBARA: "THERE'S A STRONG POSSIBILITY OF THAT. IF WE FIGURE OUT THAT MUCH, THEN WE CAN TRACK HIM."

GRAYSON: "I HOPE YOU'RE RIGHT."

Later, it's late at night by now. There are coffee mugs and food wrappers all over the desk.

BARBARA: "I'M IN, FINALLY."

GRAYSON: "TOOK YOU LONG ENOUGH." (half asleep)

BARBARA: "I'M IGNORING THAT STATEMENT. OK HERE ARE ALL THE PICTURES OF ALL THE VICTIMS. ALL HAVE DIFFERENT WORDS CARVED INTO THEIR SKIN."

GRAYSON: "THERE ARE PICTURES OF THE IMPRESSIONS ON THE VICTIMS' BODY. ONCE WE FOUND OUT HIS NAME IS THE RIDDLER, IT BECAME OBVIOUS THAT THE SYMBOL WASA QUESTION MARK."

Barbara is about to say something but Alfred comes back in looking frazzled. He goes over to the bar.

ALFRED: "I NEED A DRINK."

GRAYSON: "AL, ARE YOU OK." Alfred takes a big shot of whiskey.

ALFRED: "NO, I'M NOT ALRIGHT. I RAN INTO OUR RIDDLE ASKING FRIEND."

BARBARA: "YOU SAW HIM?"

ALFRED: "NO, HE WAS BEHIND ME THE WHOLE TIME. HE ASKED ME A RIDDLE AND I ANSWERED CORRECTLY, SO HE LET ME GO. HE DIDN'T SEEM TOO PLEASED ABOUT IT THOUGH."

BARBARA: "YOU ARE PROBABLY THE FIRST PERSON TO GET THE RIGHT ANSWER."

GRAYSON: "YEAH HE WOULD HAVE CARVED IT IN YOUR CHEST IF YOU GOT IT WRONG."

BARBARA: "SO EVEN IN THIS GUY'S WARPED MIND, HE STILL ABIDES BY A SET OF RULES?"

GRAYSON: "EVEN WITH ALL THIS INFORMATION WE STILL DON'T HAVE ANY CLUE WHO HE ACTUALLY IS."

BARBARA: "IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU CAN TELL US ABOUT HIM?"

ALFRED: "NO, I'M SORRY BARBARA."

BARBARA: "DON'T BE, ALFRED. WE'LL FIGURE IT OUT. WE'RE JUST GLAD YOU ARE OK."

ALFRED: "I'M GOING TO TRY AND GET SOME SLEEP. GOOD LUCK YOU TWO."

Alfred leaves the batcave.

BARBARA: "I DON'T THINK I CAN TAKE MUCH MORE OF THIS TONIGHT. PLUS I FEEL ALL THE POLICE EVIDENCE IS USELESS IN FIGURING OUT WHO THIS GUY IS. I'M GOING TO GO TO BED."

GRAYSON: "THERE'S A COUPLE OF SLEEPING AREAS DOWN HERE. IF YOU WANT TO SPEND THE NIGHT."

BARBARA: "IS THIS WHERE YOU HAVE BEEN LIVING?"

GRAYSON: "YEAH, IT'S NOT SO BAD."

BARBARA: "OK, I'LL STAY HERE."

She grabs her purse and takes out her medication.

GRAYSON: "ARE THOSE TO HELP YOU SLEEP?"

BARBARA: "YEAH THEY'RE ON THE STRONG SIDE, BUT THEY HELP ME SLEEP."

GRAYSON: "HOW MANY DO YOU TAKE AT A TIME?" (concerned)

BARBARA: "FOUR."

GRAYSON: "SERIOUSLY? DO YOU THINK YOU REALLY NEED THAT MUCH?"

BARBARA: "DR. NASHTON UPPED MY DOSAGE. HE SAID I COULD HANDLE IT. IT'S FINE."

GRAYSON: "DID YOU TAKE THOSE THE NIGHT I SLEPT OVER?"

BARBARA: "WHAT ARE YOU GETTING AT?"

GRAYSON: "YOU WERE EXTREMELY PARANOID AND WEREN'T MAKING ANY SENSE. DON'T YOU THINK THOSE MIGHT HAVE HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH IT?"

BARBARA: "I WAS THE VICTIM OF A HOME INVASION, SO FOR ME TO HAVE ANXIETY ABOUT THAT SORT OF THING ISN'T UNCOMMON."

GRAYSON: "YEAH, BUT THE MEDICATION IS SUPPOSED TO HELP YOU, NOT MAKE YOUR ANXIETY WORSE."

BARBARA: "JUST STOP. YOU'RE NOT MY DOCTOR, OK. I DON'T WANT TO FIGHT ABOUT THIS WITH YOU. I'M FINE, THAT'S IT."

GRAYSON: "FINE."

Later, Barbara is sleeping and starts to breathe heavily in sleep. She suddenly wakes up out of breath, and starts to cry a little. Grayson runs over to her to try and comfort her.

GRAYSON: "HEY, LISTEN TO ME. I'M SORRY FOR HOW I HANDLED YOUR MEDICATION EARLIER, BUT THIS ISN'T HEALTHY. WILL YOU JUST TRY AND STOP TAKING THEM FOR A LITTLE WHILE. LET'S JUST SEE IF IT MAKES YOU FEEL BETTER."

Barbara falls asleep.

BARBARA: "OK. I'LL DO IT."

Later, after Barbara goes back to sleep, Grayson sneaks into her purse and takes out her pill bottle. He goes to find Alfred. Alfred is in the office at Wayne Manor.

GRAYSON: "HEY AL. I NEED YOU TO DO SOMETHING FOR ME PLEASE."

ALFRED: "WHAT?"

GRAYSON: "THESE ARE BARBARA'S PILLS. CAN YOU RUN SOME TESTS ON THESE TO FIND OUT WHAT EXACTLY THERE ARE."

Alfred looks at the bottle.

ALFRED: "WELL IT SAYS VALIUM."

GRAYSON: "BARBARA TAKES FOUR A NIGHT. SOMETHING ISN'T RIGHT. I DON'T THINK THEY ARE VALIUM."

ALFRED: "I'LL TAKE CARE IT, BUT TAKE CARE OF HER, PLEASE."

GRAYSON: "I will."

INT. BBATCAVE-DAY

Grayson wakes up to find Barbara already up and messing with the computer system. She's taking it apart.

GRAYSON: "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" (shocked)

BARBARA: "THIS SYSTEM IS A MESS. I CAN'T TAKE IT. SO I REWIRED THE WHOLE THING."

She hits a few buttons and begins turning things on.

BARBARA: "IT'S MUCH BETTER NOW, MORE SECURE TOO."

GRAYSON: "HOW DID YOU DO THIS WITHOUT SHUTTING DOWN THE ENTIRE SYSTEM?"

BARBARA: "I WAS VERY CAREFUL."

GRAYSON: "I'M IMPRESSED. YOU READY FOR TRAINING EXERCISES?"

He brings her over to the training area in the Batcave.

GRAYSON: "THIS COURSE WILL TAKE YOU THROUGH SCENARIOS YOU COULD POSSIBLY DEAL WITH IN REAL LIFE."

BARBARA: "WHAT ABOUT THOSE OTHER SCENARIOS I CAN GET INTO?"

GRAYSON: "I WILL ALSO BE TEACHING YOU THE ART OF IMPROVISING. HOWEVER THIS COURSE ALSO INCLUDES LIVE GUN FIRE."

BARBARA: "SERIOUSLY? DON'T YOU THINK I SHOULD WORK UP TO THAT ONE?"

GRAYSON: "YOU WANTED TO BE HERE."

BARBARA: "DO YOU WANT ME HERE?"

GRAYSON: "YOU CAN DO THIS, READY...SET...GO."

She runs in. Her first simulation is jumping across rooftops. She has to move quickly because they collapse after she lands on them. She then goes against a simulation of three men she has to fight. After she completes that part, a larger man comes out that she fights. She struggles at first but is able to take him down. She is in the last room, with the gunfire. She does her best to dodge it, but is hit by what she thinks is a real bullet. It was actually a hologram.

BARBARA: "WHAT THE...I THOUGHT IT WAS REAL."

GRAYSON: "SORRY I HAD TO MAKE YOU THINK IT WAS REAL."

She's frazzled and laughing from relief. Then she flicks him off.

INT. BATCAVE, CHRISTMAS-DAY

Alfred, Barbara and Grayson are all exchanging gifts.

BARBARA: "I AM VERY INTERESTED TO SEE HOW CHRISTMAS GOES AT WAYNE MANOR. WHAT DO YOU WIND UP GETTING BRUCE FOR GIFTS?"

AFLRED/GRAYSON: "ALCOHOL."

BARBARA: "OH, WELL THAT MAKES SENSE ACTUALLY."

GRAYSON: "WHY DON'T YOU GO FIRST BARBARA."

BARBARA: "OK."

She opens Grayson's gift to her first. It's a special piece of computer equipment.

BARBARA: "OH MY GOD. THIS IS AWESOME, BUT IT'S SO EXPENSIVE. I'M ALMOST AFRAID TO ACCEPT IT."

GRAYSON: "BRUCE PAYS WELL."

Barbara looks at Alfred.

ALFRED: "HE DOES."

BARBARA: "THANK YOU."

She opens the one from Alfred. It's an older walkie talkie.

BARBARA: "IS THIS WHAT I THINK IT IS?"

ALFRED: "YES, THE VERY FIRST TALKIE BRUCE USED TO SPEAK TO YOUR FATHER. I DECIDED TO KEEP IT BECAUSE I HAVE AN APPRECIATION FOR SENTIMENTAL THINGS LIKE THAT. I KNOW YOU DO TOO."

BARBARA: "I LOVE IT. THANK YOU, BOTH OF YOU. ALFRED YOU WANT TO GO NEXT?"

ALFRED: "ALRIGHT."

BARBARA: "IT'S FROM BOTH OF US."

He opens the card and sees brochure.

GRAYSON: "WE ARE SENDING YOU TO A RESORT AFTER ALL THE CRAZINESS FOR A MUCH NEEDED 'R AND R'."

ALFRED: "THANK YOU, YOU TOO. I REALLY DO NEED SOME TIME OFF. NOW LAST BUT NOT LEAST GRAYSON."

He opens Alfred's gift first. It's a bunch of new clothes.

ALFRED: "IF I SEE YOU WEAR ANY MORE CLOTHES WITH HOLES IN THEM I AM GOING TO BURN THEM."

GRAYSON: "THANKS AL. ALRIGHT, I THINK I KNOW WHO WRAPPED THIS ONE."

BARBARA: "OK, I TRIED."

He opens it; it's a framed picture of all the Flying Graysons together. The frame is the Nightwing emblem

GRAYSON: "WOW, THIS IS INCREDIBLE."

BARBARA: "YOU LIKE IT? I TALKED TO ALFRED BEFORE TO MAKE SURE IT WAS OK. I DID SOME SERIOUS DIGGING TO FIND THAT PICTURE."

He kisses her.

GRAYSON: "YOU DID, THIS IS AMAZING I LOVE IT."

ALFRED: "NOW I'M REALLY HAPPY I BOUGHT YOU ALL THOSE NICE CLOTHES."

INT. GOTHAM PRESS BUILDING- DAY

Brian walks to his desk at the Gotham Press and notices an envelope with a question mark on it. He doesn't open it, but instead puts it in a drawer in his desk along with the rest of the envelopes that he has gotten from the Riddler. Brian's boss walks over to his desk.

DAVE: "BRIAN HAVE YOU FINISHED THE ARTICLE FOR TOMORROW?"

BRIAN: "NO, BUT I WILL STAY LATE TONIGHT TO GET IT DONE."

DAVE: "THANKS MAN, DON'T FORGET TO LOCK UP TONIGHT."

BRIAN: "WILL DO."

Later in the evening, Brian goes to the break room to get more coffee. When he gets back to his desk it is covered with envelopes. Riddler (in a mask) turns around from another chair and shoots Brian in the shoulder. Brian falls to the floor and Riddler picks him up and puts him in his desk chair.

RIDDLER: "HAVE YOU BEEN GETTING MY LETTERS?"

(sarcastic)

BRIAN: "I'M SORRY, PLEASE DON'T KILL ME, PLEASE."

RIDDLER: "WHY SHOULDN'T I? I HAD TO MAKE MY OWN NEWSPAPER TO SEND OUT BEFORE THE MUSEUM ATTACK. THANKFULLY, I AM VERY RESOURCEFUL."

(sigh)

BRIAN: "MY BOSS TOLD ME NOT TO WRITE ABOUT YOU, BECAUSE HE SAID IT WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TOO MUCH."

RIDDLER: "DON'T FLATTER YOURSELF. WELL, (SIGH) SINCE YOU HAVE RECEIVED MY MESSAGE NOW. I WANT YOU TO SHARE IT WITH GOTHAM."

The next morning, the printer is going off vigorously. All the newspapers are piling on the floor. Dave comes in and looks pissed.

DAVE: "WHERE'S BRIAN? WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!"

Dave goes over to the journalists desks and sees Brian still at his desk alive and typing. He is typing one handed because of his shoulder. He is just typing over and over "Riddle me this." Another co-worker witnesses this too.

DAVE: "LISA, RELEASE THE PAPER AND CALL PD."

EXT. GOTHAM CITY-DAY (NEW YEARS EVE)

People awake to find the "special" newspaper warning them of more killings that evening. The letter reads "I want to start the new year with a bang. The New Year's Eve party in Downtown Gotham is a great place to have a explosive time-R The man behind the riddles."

Later that evening, a big event is going on in downtown Gotham. Undercover cops do a stakeout to try and catch the Riddler. Nightwing and Batgirl are even further out then the police, keeping watch from a rooftop. Lots of people are crowding around the streets and bars. Montoya and Yindel are street level in different locations, watching the crowd. Yindel follow one lone person carrying a large backpack and asks to search it. It's clean and she lets him go. Montoya sees kids running from one end of the street to the other. She decides to walk to see where they came from.

BATGIRL: "HOW MANY MORE MINUTES TILL MIDNIGHT?"

NIGHTWING: "FIFTEEN. WOULDN'T IT BE NICE TO ACTUALLY GET TO CELEBRATE NEW YEAR'S EVE FOR A CHANGE?"

Batgirl is on a laptop.

BATGIRL: "LAST YEAR I STAYED AT HOME. THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR IN A WHILE WHERE I'M ACTUALLY OUT... I STILL SEE NO UNUSUAL ACTIVITY ONLINE."

Someone screams off in the distance. The two of them look up to see what happened. It's a drunk person running down the street, then he starts laughing with a group of people.

BATGIRL: "THAT HAS HAPPENED SO MANY TIMES TONIGHT, BUT WE KEEP REACTING LIKE IT'S THE FIRST."

NIGHTWING: "THAT ISN'T A BAD THING. THE POLICE ARE MOVING CLOSER IN. THE COUNTDOWN IS GOING TO START SOON."

Montoya sees a couple of kids setting up fireworks on some fire escapes. She goes over to investigate.

BATGIRL: "NO ONLINE ACTIVITY. IF ANYTHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN, ITS POSSIBLE IT'S ALREADY SET UP."

NIGHTWING: "IT WOULD BE NICE TO BE WITH THE POLICE FOR THAT."

CROWD: "TEN, NINE, EIGHT, SEVEN, SIX..."

NIGHTWING/BATGIRL/MONTOYA/YINDEL: "FIVE, FOUR , THREE, TWO, ONE."

About a minute passes and nothing seems out of the ordinary.

NIGHTWING: "HAPPY NEW YEAR."

BATGIRL: "HAPPY NEW YEAR."

Montoya goes back to focusing on the firework set up. Once she gets closer the kids start running away.

MONTOYA: "HEY! GOTHAM PD, STOP!

They all run away in different directions. Montoya goes up the fire escape and sees what look like normal fireworks. She goes to touch them, but before she does they go off, on all fire escapes. She hurries down the fire escape to get out of the way. Nightwing and Batgirl hear the fireworks go off.

NIGHTWING: "NOBODY WAS THERE TO SET THOSE OFF, JUST NOW."

BATGIRL: "LET'S GET CLOSER."

They get down to the street to observe from there. Everyone is watching the fireworks at this point.

YINDEL: "OFFICERS I WANT YOU TO CONTAIN THE CROWD. DON'T LET THEM GET TOO CLOSE TO WHERE THE FIREWORKS ARE."

Police make a barrier on the street to move people back. There is a bit of a confrontation between the police and the crowd. The crowd looks back up at the sky and begins to freak out. The last set of fireworks creates a large amount of smoke and sound even louder than before. The smoke starts to turn green.

MONTOYA: "THAT'S NOT SMOKE, IT'S GAS! EVERYBODY GET OFF THE STREET! MOVE!"

A panic breaks out. Yindel and Montoya try to help people towards the back of the crowd, find safety in the buildings. The gas gets to some people and they collapse on the street. Batgirl tries to run over to help, but Nightwing holds her back. They put on their masks and run into the smoke to try and help people. A set of fireworks go off on the ground and create a large fire blocking the way they came in. More cops try to get through, but can't. More fireworks start to go off causing more fires all around them. Nightwing grabs Batgirl right before one hits her. A couple of people have stumbled over near a box full of fireworks unknowingly. Nightwing and Batgirl notice this and run over to help them. They quickly grab them and drop them to the ground away from the fireworks, just before they explode. There is a handful of people still left trapped by the all the fire.

BATGIRL: "HOW DO WE GET THEM ALL OUT?"

NIGHTWING: "WE'LL GET THEM ON THE ROOFS."

They begin to tether the grapples to the people (who are pretty groggy). They hit buttons on their wrist and the people slowly begin to rise to the top of the roofs. Nightwing and Batgirl get to the roof tops and pull them up the rest of the way. One of the cops Batgirl is helping up starts to come to.

BATIGIRL: "OH MY GOD, TIM."

TIM: "DO I KNOW YOU?" (groggy)

BATGIRL: "UM, NO. I SAW YOUR NAME ON YOUR NAME TAG."

TIM: "I'M NOT WEARING ONE."

BATGIRL: "SHH. YES YOU ARE."

The firetrucks and more police arrive to contain the area. Most of the people have left the area but are still crowding further back. People are scared and are on the phone with others. People who need it are starting to receive medical attention. A helicopter starts to hover overhead to pick up the people on the rooftop. Batgirl thinks she sees the Riddler. She gets off the rooftop and runs to get her bike to follow him. Nightwing is helping people from another rooftop and notices her leaving.

NIGHTWING: "HEY, WAIT! NO!

He gets off the rooftop and runs to get his bike, but it is blocked by Yindel.

YINDEL: "IS THIS YOUR BIKE?"

She takes out a pocket knife and stabs the tires.

NIGHTWING: "COMMISSIONER, YOU AREN'T HURTING ME, YOU'RE HURTING THE CITY."

YINDEL: "WHERE'S YOUR FRIEND?"

NIGHTWING: "MY INTENTIONS ARE TO FIND HER."

YINDEL: "LET MY MEN TAKE CARE OF THAT."

She cuffs him and puts him in a squad car. She tries to radio Montoya and can't get a hold of her.

NIGHTWING: "COMMISSIONER, PEOPLE WE CARE ABOUT ARE OUT THERE AND SO IS A SERIAL KILLER. CAN WE PLEASE GET ON THE SAME PAGE ABOUT WHAT IS MORE IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW."

Yindel heads back over to the officers.

OFFICER: "WE FOUND THE KIDS THAT ALLEGEDLY SET OFF THE FIREWORKS."

YINDEL: "I WANT TO TALK TO THEM." OFFICER: "THEY WERE IN ONE THE OF THE BUILDINGS SET ON FIRE. THEY DIDN'T MAKE IT."

YINDEL: "SON OF A BITCH. WHAT ABOUT HIM? HAVE YOU FOUND HIM?"

OFFICER: "WE'RE LOOKING COMMISSIONER."

YINDEL: "ANY OTHER CASUALTIES?"

OFFICER: "NO, THE GAS RELEASED WAS NONE LETHAL. EVERYONE EFFECTED WILL MOST LIKELY SURVIVE. SO WHY DO THIS THEN?"

YINDEL: "BECAUSE HE THINKS HE'S IN CONTROL."

She radios again to Montoya.

YINDEL: "MONTOYA! DAMN IT!"

She gets in a squad car with a deputy.

YINDEL: "WE ARE EITHER LOOKING FOR MONTOYA OR NIGHTWING'S PARTNER. I DON'T CARE WHO WE FIND FIRST WE KNOW THAT THEY CAN'T BE FAR FROM EACH OTHER."

Batgirl goes down some streets to try and find him. She is trying to avoid the crowd of people, but wipes out to avoid hitting some. She gets off her bike and starts on foot. Batgirl sees Riddler again and runs to catch up and follow him.

Meanwhile, Nightwing is trying to get out of his handcuffs. The cop notices and pulls out his gun. Nightwing is able to kick him through the gate and knock him out. The car hits a light post and stops. He finally gets out his cuffs and leaves the squad car.

Riddler goes into an abandoned building. Before she can go in it, it blows up, creating more gas. She flies back from the impact and is pretty dazed and is hyper ventilating from breathing the gas in. She tries to put her masked on, but Riddler knocks it off her face. She tries to fight him, but she is shoved back against a wall. She falls to the ground with tears in her eyes and looks up. Montoya comes over to her in a gas mask. Montoya looks around with her gun in hand ready to fire. She thinks she sees Riddler. As she is walking, she hits a string on the floor. A part of the ceiling is about to fall right on top of her, but Batgirl pushes her out of the way.

BATGIRL: "LET'S GO."

They both leave for Montoya's squad car.

MONTOYA: "YOU OK?"

BATGIRL: "I ALMOST GOT HIM."

MONTOYA: "YOU MUST BE PRETTY STRONG, THE GAS DIDN'T KNOCK YOU OUT."

BATGIRL: "I DON'T KNOW WHY. YOU CAN JUST DROP ME OFF HERE, I'LL FIND MY WAY BACK."

(coughing)

MONTOYA: "ALRIGHT."

Batgirl gets out of the car, and grabs her bike on the street. Two guys try to get on and ride, but they can't start it. Batgirl presses a button on her hand and shocks the guys. They fall to the ground. She walks back to Montoya.

BATGIRL: "THANK YOU FOR NOT ASKING ANY QUESTIONS."

MONTOYA: "DIDN'T THINK YOU WOULD ANSWER THEM ANYWAY."

BATGIRL: "I KNEW I ALWAYS LIKED YOU, MY FATHER...TAUGHT ME TO LOVE THE POLICE. HAVE A GOOD NIGHT."

Yindel's squad car pulls up right behind them.

BATGIRL: "OH SHIT."

MONTOYA: "LET ME HANDLE THIS, OK."

Yindel gets out of the car, holding her gun at her hip.

MONTOYA: "COME ON. YOU KNOW SHE'S NOT GOING TO TRY ANYTHING. HER AND NIGHTWING RESCUED THOSE PEOPLE, THOSE OFFICERS."

YINDEL: "ENOUGH."

BATGIRL: "I HAVE A LOT OF RESPECT FOR YOU. I KNOW IT'S NOT EASY TAKING GORDON'S PLACE, ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW. GORDON IS VERY WELL LIKED. IT'S SAFE TO SAY THAT YOU ARE VERY DIFFERENT FROM HIM. IT'S BEEN HARD FOR PEOPLE TO ADJUST TO THAT CHANGE, BUT WHAT YOU DO HAVE IN COMMON WITH GORDON, IS YOUR DETERMINATION. THAT'S A REALLY GOOD THING. I DON'T WANT TO FIGHT YOU. I WANT TO FIND HIM, TOO."

Yindel doesn't say anything for a while. What Batgirl says, gets to her a little bit; she tries to hide it. Nightwing is watching from across the street.

YINDEL: "THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP TONIGHT. FOR THAT I WON'T ARREST YOU RIGHT NOW. THAT'S ALL YOU'LL GET FROM ME. OFFICER, LETS GET BACK TO WORK."

MONTOYA: "ALRIGHT COMMISSIONER."

The squad cars leave the area, sirens spots Nightwing as he walks over to her.

BATGIRL: "I'M SORRY, I SHOULDN'T HAVE JUST TAKEN OFF LIKE THAT."

NIGHTWING: "I'M GUESSING YOU DIDN'T CATCH HIM."

BATGIRL: "NOT THIS TIME." (timidly)

NIGHTWING: "THAT'S OK. SHE DIDN'T ARREST US OF BECAUSE OF YOU. SO THAT'S GOOD. WE BETTER HURRY THOUGH I DON'T THINK SHE KNOWS I KNOCKED A COP OUT YET."

BATGIRL: "OH OK, TIME TO GO." (smilingly)

INT. PD PARKING GARAGE- NIGHT (NEXT DAY)

Yindel is walking to her car. When she gets inside a masked person (Edward) is behind her. He drugs her and she passes out. Yindel wakes up in a very small room. There is a computer on the door. Yindel walks up to it.

YINDEL: "HELLO, CAN YOU HEAR ME?" (calmly)

EDWARD: "YES COMMISSIONER, I HEAR YOU LOUD AND CLEAR."

YINDEL: "PLEASE, PLEASE LET ME OUT OF HERE."

EDWARD: "WELL THAT'S UP TO YOU. ON THAT COMPUTER SCREEN ARE A SERIES OF RIDDLES. IF YOU ANSWER THEM CORRECTLY THE DOOR WILL RELEASE AND YOU CAN GO. BETTER NOT WASTE ANYMORE TIME. THERE'S A LIMITED SUPPLY OF OXYGEN IN THAT ROOM."

She answers all the riddles correctly and is now waiting for the door in front of her to open. She's becoming short of breath.

YINDEL: "I DID IT. I SOLVED ALL THE RIDDLES. NOW OPEN THE DOOR."

(angry)

EDWARD: "DON'T WORRY, I WILL OPEN THE DOOR, BUT I NEVER SAID WHICH ONE."

YINDEL: "WHAT?" (bewildered)

There is a trap door under her feet which leads to the sewer. It's about a 30 ft drop and she hits the wall a few times, going down. She is able to swim through one of the holes and barely makes it out. She ends up far from where she was kept. She's disoriented and in pain. A couple of men find her unconscious near the docks.

INT. BATCAVE-DAY

Barbara is working out. Grayson and Alfred come over to talk to her.

GRAYSON: "WE NEED TO TALK TO YOU."

BARBARA: "OK, ABOUT WHAT?" (confused)

GRAYSON: "AS A PARTNER I NEED TO KNOW THAT YOUR ANXIETY ISN'T GOING TO BE A PROBLEM."

Barbara tries to say something.

GRAYSON: "BEFORE YOU SAY ANYTHING JUST LISTEN. I DON'T THINK YOU NEED TO BE ON MEDICATION TO GET YOUR ANXIETY UNDER CONTROL."

BARBARA: "WHAT ABOUT DR. NASHTON? WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO SAY TO HIM?"

ALFRED: "THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE I NEED TO TELL YOU. I GOT A LAB REPORT DONE ON YOUR MEDICATION. THE PILLS YOU HAVE BEEN TAKING AREN'T VALIUM. THERE ARE A VERY SEVERE MIXTURE OF OTHER MEDICATIONS. ONE OF THE SIDE EFFECTS IS EXTREME PARANOIA."

Barbara puts her head down. Grayson goes over to her and tries to console her.

GRAYSON: "THIS ISN'T YOUR FAULT OK. I'M SORRY."

BARBARA: "HE KISSED ME."

GRAYSON: "WHEN? WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?"

BARBARA: "I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. I WAS VULNERABLE AND UPSET. I JUST WANTED TO FORGET IT EVER HAPPENED BECAUSE I FELT LIKE I NEEDED HIM."

ALFRED: "THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW IS TO STAY AWAY FROM HIM."

BARBARA: "YOU'RE RIGHT."

GRAYSON: "I KNEW THAT GUY COULDN'T BE TRUSTED. I'M GOING TO GO FIND HIM."

ALFRED: "DON'T DO ANYTHING STUPID."

GRAYSON: "WHY?"

BARBARA: "ALFRED'S RIGHT. THIS IS MY RESPONSIBILITY. I'M GOING TO TAKE CARE OF IT. I JUST NEED SOME TIME TO THINK ABOUT IT."

Barbara walks away.

INT. LIBRARY- NIGHT

Barbara is working late at night at the library. Edward sneaks up on her.

EDWARD: "I THOUGHT I MIGHT FIND YOU HERE."

BARBARA: "OH. HI DR. NASHTON. I THOUGHT I LOCKED THE FRONT DOOR."

EDWARD: "YOU DID...(SIGH)I NEED TO TALK TO YOU. YOU CANCELLED YOUR LAST APPOINTMENT AND YOU HAVEN'T MADE A NEW ONE."

BARBARA: "I'VE BEEN REALLY BUSY LATELY AND I HAVEN'T REALLY HAD TIME FOR AN APPOINTMENT. I'VE BEING DOING GREAT LATELY.

He looks at her inquisitively.

EDWARD: "YOU KNOW YOU CAN'T STOP SEEING ME UNTIL I THINK YOU ARE STABLE ENOUGH FOR THAT. IT'S PART OF THE AGREEMENT THAT WAS MADE WHEN YOU LEFT THE HOSPITAL. YOU DON'T WANT TO GO BACK THERE RIGHT?"

BARBARA: "I'M NOT THE SAME PERSON I WAS THEN."

EDWARD: "HAVE YOU STOPPED TAKING YOUR MEDICATION?"

BARBARA: "YES AND I FEEL SO MUCH BETTER. I'M SEEING THINGS A LOT MORE CLEAR NOW. I DON'T NEED TO SEE YOU ANYMORE, BUT THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR HELP."

Barbara tries to walk away. He blocks her and slams his fist on the table.

BARBARA: "IF YOU CARE ABOUT ME, THEN YOU SHOULD BE HAPPY THAT I'M DOING WELL."

EDWARD: "YOU'RE NOT WELL YET, BARBARA. YOU STILL NEED ME TO HELP YOU. I'VE DONE A LOT FOR YOU AND I FEEL LIKE YOU DON'T APPRECIATE IT." (loud)

BARBARA: "IF YOU DON'T STAY AWAY FROM ME, I WILL GO TO THE POLICE."

EDWARD: "AND WHO DO YOU THINK THEY'RE GOING TO BELIEVE? THE SUICIDAL GIRL, WHO ISN'T FOLLOWING ORDERS AND IS ABUSING HER MEDICATION. OR GOTHAM'S PRESTIGIOUS DOCTOR. OUR CONNECTION IS DEEPER THAN THIS. WE ARE THE ONLY TWO PEOPLE WHO UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER. I STILL WANT TO BE ON YOUR SIDE. DON'T LET DICK GET IN THE WAY OF THAT."

BARBARA: "YOU NEED TO LEAVE NOW." (stern, holding back tears)

He leans over and whispers in her ear.

EDWARD: "IT'S REALLY A SHAME THAT BRUCE ISN'T HERE TO HELP YOU."

She looks very surprised by this statement and by the time she is about to say something, Edward has walked away.

INT. BATCAVE-NIGHT.

Grayson shows Barbara different holds and positions and how to break free of them. He shows her more gadgets that she can use: batarangs, rope utility belt. Grayson opens up the drawers with the gadgets showing Barbara how they all work.

GRAYSON: "INSTEAD OF THAT ROPE YOU WERE USING, YOU NEED A THIS GRAPPLE GUN. IT'S POWERFUL; IT CAN HOOK ONTO ALMOST ANYTHING. TRY IT."

She pulls the trigger and grapples on to the rock wall.

GRAYSON: "NOW THIS BUTTON WILL PULL YOU ON TO THE WALL. AND THIS ONE WILL RELEASE THE HOOK AND COME BACK TO THE HOLSTER."

He pushes the button and the hook comes back.

GRAYSON:"LIKE THAT."

Barbara looks over at a vertical case.

BARBARA: "WHAT'S THAT?"

GRAYSON: "YOUR WINGS. YOU WANT TO TRY THEM OUT?"

Grayson helps Barbara put on her bat-wings and the rest of her suit. Barbara is at the top of the ledge. She is afraid to jump off because it's about 50 feet in the air. She jumps off and flaps the wings a bit in a panic. She calms herself and lands. She lands crouched with one arm in the air and the other hits the ground. She stands up confident.

Later while they are taking a break. Grayson pulls up the information he has on Killer Moth.

BARBARA: "WHY ARE YOU PULLING THAT UP?"

GRAYSON: "BRUCE AND I THOUGHT HE MIGHT BE HELPING RIDDLER. THE MONEY WENT SOMEWHERE, WE WEREN'T ABLE TO LOCATE IT."

BARBARA: "IT COULD HAVE BEEN USED TO FUND WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING IN THE CITY."

GRAYSON: "RIGHT."

BARBARA: "HE'S BEEN GETTING MORE THAN MOTH'S MEN RIGHT. THOSE STREET KIDS FROM NEW YEARS AND WHOEVER ELSE."

GRAYSON: "WE SHOULD TRY AND FIND THEM, BUT PD HAS NO LEADS ON WHO WAS HELPING."

BARBARA: "SO WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?"

GRAYSON: "A FEW EVENTS HAVE OCCURRED OVER BY THE DOCKS. THE MAZE WAS AT THE DOCKS AND YINDEL WAS FOUND THERE TOO. I BET SOME PEOPLE KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON OVER THERE."

BARBARA: "MAYBE EVEN THE MEN YOU RESCUED."

GRAYSON: "I CAN IDENTIFY WHO THEY WERE. I WAS THINKING WE COULD GO OUT HUNTING TONIGHT."

BARBARA: "AND WHAT ABOUT KILLER MOTH, SHOULDN'T WE TALK TO HIM TOO?"

GRAYSON: "WE WILL, BUT SOMETIMES THE SMALLER GUYS ARE EASIER TO SHAKE FOR INFORMATION AND YOU NEED THE PRACTICE."

BARBARA: "PRACTICE?"

GRAYSON: "YOU'RE TAKING THE LEAD ON THIS ONE, SO GET READY."

EXT. CITY STREET-NIGHT

Nightwing and Batgirl scout the docks from a nearby rooftop.

BATGIRL: "IT'S QUIET OUT."

NIGHTWING: "IT'S GOTTEN WORSE WITH ALL THE KILLINGS."

BATGIRL: "I DIDN'T THINK THE SCUM OF GOTHAM WOULD BE AFRAID OF THAT."

Nightwing is looking through high-tech goggles.

NIGHTWING: "OH I THINK I GOT ONE. I RESCUED HIM FROM THE OTHER NIGHT."

The maze is covered with police tape. They see the man leaving the area where the maze was. He is holding onto of the equipment.

BATGIRL: "OH, YEAH. WE GOT A LIVE ONE."

NIGHTWING: "AFTER YOU."

Batgirl uses her grapple gun to get from warehouse to warehouse to reach the man.

BATGIRL: "MIND IF WE TALK?"

The man tries to punch Batgirl in the face. She blocks his punch and slams his head against the wall and he falls to the ground."

MAN: "BATMAN?"

BATGIRL: "YES, I'M BATMAN. YOU JUST HIT YOUR HEAD SO HARD YOU THINK BATMAN HAS RED HAIR AND IS HALF THE SIZE. NOW, I NEED YOU TO ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS."

He hits her in the head not very hard. She grabs his hand and breaks his finger. The man's friend comes from behind Batgirl and pulls her off the man. He is holding her by the neck from behind the other man gets up and tries to stab her with a knife. She kicks him in the face, and elbows the other man in the stomach and hits him in the throat. He stumbles and tries to run off, but Batgirl snags him with a rope and pulls him back. The rope is pulled back very quickly and the man scrapes part of his face along the ground. She pulls both men up against the warehouse.

BATGIRL: "OKAY, YOU ACTUALLY MADE THIS EASIER FOR ME. I ONLY NEED ONE OF YOU TO ANSWER MY QUESTIONS AND OTHER WON'T BE ABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS, EVEN IF HE WANTED TO. SO, WHO WANTS TO HELP ME OUT?"

The both raise their hands. She looks at the man who was scared by the rope. He nods.

BATGIRL: "YOU WANT TO ANSWER MY QUESTION?"

MAN: "HEY, I RAISED MY HAND TOO."

Batgirl takes out a device, splits it apart and throws one part up in the air. She takes the other and attaches it to the man and he flies up to the top of the warehouse and is dangling over the ground.

BATGIRL: "LIKE I SAID, I ONLY NEED ONE OF YOU. DID YOU HELP BUILD THIS MAZE?"

MAN2: "MAYBE...YES."

BATGIRL: "DID YOU HELP WITH OTHER CRIMES LATELY?"

MAN2: "NO, RIDDLER HIRED DIFFERENT PEOPLE FOR EVERY JOB. THEY EITHER LEFT WHEN IT WAS OVER OR WERE KILLED. THANKFULLY YOUR FRIEND SAVED ME FROM THAT FIRE."

BATGIRL: "YEAH I GUESS THAT WAS NICE OF HIM. HOW DID RIDDLER CONTACT YOU?"

MAN2: "FACE TO FACE."

BATGIRL: "YOU SAW HIM?"

MAN2: "NOT HIS FACE, THE ONE TIME I SAW HIM, HE WAS WEARING A MASK AND DUBBED HIS VOICE. I'VE HEARD KILLER MOTH WAS THE ONLY ONE TO SEE HIS FACE."

BATGIRL: "YOU'RE SURE?"

MAN2: "NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT BUT LOOKS LIKE YOU DON'T HAVE MUCH MORE TO GO ON IF YOU'RE TALKING TO ME." (smiling)

Batgirl hits a button on her belt and the rope drops down at a rapid pace. The man comes down fast hitting the ground but is still alive (it's only about 20 ft). Batgirl hits a button on her wrist and her cycle finds her. She gets on and drives away without saying anything.

MAN2: "BITCH."

The man is struck with something electric and falls to the ground. (Pan over)To Nightwing with a gun from a rooftop.

INT. BATCAVE-NIGHT.

Barbara and Grayson are working out a new plan to get into Arkham.

BARBARA: "SO NOW WE GO VISIT KILLER MOTH?"

GRAYSON: "THAT'S THE IDEA, BUT I CAN'T FIND OUT WHERE HE IS IN ARKHAM."

BARBARA: "LET ME SEE."

She types in some keys.

BARBARA: "HE'S NOT A REGISTERED PATIENT BECAUSE HE'S IN THE RESTRICTED WING. I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT EXSISTED."

GRAYSON: "WELL ARKHAM ISN'T FOR REHABILITATION, IT'S FOR EXPERIMENTS."

BARBARA: "ISN'T THAT ALL OF ARKHAM?"

INT. ARKHAM-NIGHT.

Nightwing and Batgirl sneak into Arkham. They release a gas knocking out all security. They head down the halls to Cameron Von Cleer's room, which is located on one of the basement levels of the building. The wing is two stories with rooms on both levels. They stand in front of the door which is on the second floor. They can only hear his voice; his room is dark.

NIGHTWING: "CAMERON, WE WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT WHY YOU ARE IN HERE."

Cameron is breathing very heavily as he speaks.

CAMERON: "I...WOULD DO ANYTHING TO...GO AGAINST BATMAN...BUT HE...BETRAYED ME."

(weak)

NIGHTWING: "HOW?"

CAMERON: "I WAS HELPING...STEAL...MONEY."

BATGIRL: "FOR WHAT?"

CAMERON: "HE...NEVER WOULD TELL ME...THEN HE LEFT...ME HERE...SO I WOULDN'T TALK."

BATGIRL: "WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE LEFT YOU HERE? HOW WAS HE GOING TO GET YOU OUT?"

Cameron looks at Batgirl.

CAMERON: "YOU...RED HAIR."

BATGIRL: "YES, I CRASHED INTO YOU. DO YOU KNOW THIS GUY'S REAL NAME? CAN YOU GIVE US ANYTHING ABOUT HIM?"

CAMERON: "HE IS AN...ENIGMA...BUT HIS CLUES ARE HIS WEAKNESSES...PLEASE...I NEED..."

NIGHTWING: "WHAT DO YOU NEED?"

CAMERON: "FOOD...I'M SO HUNGRY."

(growl)

He turns to look through the tiny window, but his eyes are glowing red. He's been turned into Charaxes. They step away from the door. Suddenly, the alarm goes off. All the doors to the patient rooms, suddenly unlock. Nightwing and Batgirl look over the ledge and see all the inmates come out. Some are trying to leave the wing, but the doors are locked. The ones on the second level start coming for Nightwing and Batgirl, from behind and in the front.

They start to fight Nightwing and Batgirl. One man grabs Batgirl and tries to throw her off the ledge. She takes him with her and he falls off, but she manages to hang onto the the railing and climb back over. Nightwing and Batgirl stay close to each other for the beginning of the fight. Inmates throw punches at both of them and they block them. Batgirl ducks and Nightwing hits someone. Batgirl slide through Nightwing's legs and comes on the other side to grab an inmate by the legs and knock him down. As Nightwing fights one man Batgirl jumps over another man to hit him in the face.

BATGIRL: "WE CAN'T STAY HERE. THE DOORS ARE LOCKED DOWNSTAIRS. WE NEED TO TRY AND FIND A WAY TO OPEN THEM."

They begin to make their way down stairs using their grapple. A group of men are blocking the main exit out. Both the men and Nightwing and Batgirl lunge forward toward each other. They are both fighting two men at once. Nightwing keeps checking on Batgirl to make sure she is ok, but gets too distracted. Two bigger inmates grab him and start punching him. Batgirl is blocked from helping him by an inmate with a shiv. He keeps making swipes at her, but she blocks him and head-butts him. He picks her up and slams her against to the wall. She is able to grab the man's arm and break it and knock her off of him. Nightwing is on the ground being punched. He is able to grab his electric baton and zap both the men. He strikes both on of them, incapacitating them. Batgirl takes two men who try and grab her by the arms. She hits her belt releasing ropes from her side. The ropes wrap around the men and she is able to flip them over. She ducks as another man comes at her. She punches him in the abdomen. He kneels over and she kicks himin the face. She heads back over to the control panel for the door. She takes it a part to see if she can rig it. Nightwing is keeping a look out. A voice comes on over the loud speaker.

EDWARD: "ATTENTION INMATES IT'S...FEEDING TIME."

Charaxes' door flies off the hinges and lands on the floor below.

NIGHTWING: "OK, WORK FASTER."

BATGIRL: "I'M TRYING."

Charaxes jumps down to the first floor. One inmate throws Nightwing away from the door and another grabs Batgirl.

INMATE: "YOU HEARD THE VOICE. IT NEEDS TO BE FED."

She screams as he picks her up and throws her over his shoulder. He runs her over to Charaxes and drops her by his feet. Batgirl cuts the man's leg with a batarang. He starts to bleed. Charaxes grabs the inmate instead and Batgirl runs back to Nightwing. Some men try to make it past Charaxes but he grabs them too. Nightwing and Batgirl go back to try and work on the door again.

BATGIRL: "IS HE STILL BUSY?"

She tries to turn her head.

NIGHTWING: "DON'T LOOK."

After the feeding Charaxes goes for the two of them. Nightwing runs using the wall as jumping off point to get at Charaxes. He beats him with his baton, but it doesn't work well. They fight more, with Nightwing trying to hit him with his batons. Charaxes arms are too big and block all the blows. Batgirl runs at him, but Charaxes throws Batgirl against the wall. Nightwing goes to kick him, but he grabs his ankle and throws him. Batgirl jumps on him and tries to stab him with a batarang. She stabs him in the arm; it doesn't go to deep. He throws her off again. She uses her cape to soften her hit to the ground. Charaxes is ready to bite Nightwing, but Batgirl shoots her grapple gun into his shoulder and grapples to him. She is holding a batarang in her hand and she stabs him in the neck. Charaxes is weakened by both injuries and can barely stand. Nightwing and Batgirl push him back into a room and shut the door. Nightwing sprays a glue over the lock to keep it shut.

NIGHTWING: "ARE YOU ALRIGHT?"

BATGIRL: "I'M OK. YOU'RE BLEEDING."

NIGHTWING: "IT'S NOT TOO BAD. WHAT ABOUT YOUR FACE?"

She has blood running down the side of her face.

BATGIRL: "MINE HURTS A LOT."

NIGHTWING: "LET'S JUST GET OUT OF HERE."

She is able to finally open the door and locks it from the other side. Nightwing is playing down his injuries. He's limping bad and can't move as quickly as she can. A door locks right after Batgirl runs through the doorway. They are now separated.

NIGHTWING: "I CAN'T OPEN THE DOOR."

BATGIRL: "WHAT DO WE DO? DO WE HAVE ANY EQUIPMENT WE CAN USE?"

NIGHTWING: "NOT FOR THIS DOOR."

BATGIRL: "I CAN TRY TO FIND A COMPUTER TO OPEN IT."

NIGHTWING: "I'LL FIND ANOTHER WAY OUT. WE'LL MEET OUTSIDE."

BATGIRL: "BE CAREFUL. IF HE'S IN HERE..."

NIGHTWING: "I KNOW AND YOU DO THE SAME. WE'LL MEET BY THE CYCLES."

BATGIRL: "WE WEREN'T PREPARED FOR ANY OF THIS TONIGHT."

NIGHTWING: "IT'S PART OF THE JOB. DON'T WORRY."

They both take off down different corridors. It's dark but lights are flickering. Both Nightwing and Batgirl are equipped with night vision. The monitors in the hallways all have a screen shot of a question mark. Batgirl finds many of Arkham security/staff dead. Nightwing winds up making a left down one of the hallways then hears a noise and decides to go right instead. It's very dark in this room. Edward pops out from a side door and attacks. Nightwing is knocked to the ground on his back. Edward kicks off the night vision goggles and places his foot on Nightwing's abdomen. Nightwing tries to grab something off his belt, but Edward shoots something out of his cane that ties his hands together.

EDWARD: "WHY DOES SHE WANT YOU? YOU'RE WEAK, UNINTELLIGENT. YOU CAN'T EVEN FIGURE OUT WHO I AM. IF YOU DO, IT WILL BE THANKS TO HER. NOW BATMAN, WHAT A STRONG ADVERSARY HE USED TO BE.(SIGH) I SHOULD JUST PUT YOU OUT OF YOUR MISERY RIGHT NOW."

Edward stabs him once in the shoulder. Nightwing screams in pain. Edward's about to stab him a second time.

EDWARD: "(SIGH) ON SECOND THOUGHT, I'LL THINK I'LL LET YOU SUFFER A LITTLE LONGER. NIGHT, NIGHT."

Edward drops a smoke bomb then leaves. Nightwing passes out for a minute and wakes up to Batgirl touching his face.

BATGIRL: "NIGHTWING. IT'S OK. I GOT YOU."

She hooks Nightwing to herself using a rope on her belt. That way he is able to stand, but put some of his weight on Batgirl. When they make it outside Nightwing has passed out again. Batgirl links up the two bat-cycles and hooks Nightwing to his cycle. She drives off.

INT. BATCAVE-NIGHT.

Grayson is recovering from his injuries, with Alfred's help. Barbara is staying by his bed side to make sure he's alright. While holding hands Barbara just stares off thinking.

GRAYSON: "HE TALKED TO ME LIKE HE KNOWS WHO WE ARE."

Barbara starts looking more upset.

BARBARA: "I'M GOING TO WORK MORE ON TRACKING THE SOFTWARE."

She gets back into the police server. She finds the file on the toxicology report for the gas used on New Year's Eve. The chemical make is the same as the medication Edward put Barbara on. She decides to look at the letter the Riddler sent the police on the computer. She has set up a way to type in cyphers to crack the letter. She types in the name Edward. It works. She gets up to leave. Alfred stops her before she goes.

ALFRED: "ARE YOU OK?"

BARBARA: "IT'S BEEN A CRAZY NIGHT. I WANT TO GO HOME TO REST. I DON'T WANT TO BE HERE WITH THE EVIDENCE. IT'S TOO MUCH."

She nods then leaves.

ALFRED: "YOU CALL ME IF YOU NEED ANYTHING."

Later Grayson wakes and looks for Barbara. He goes over to the computer and sees the toxicology report and the letter cracked by the cypher. He tries to call Barbara, but he can't get a hold of her.

GRAYSON: "YOU SON OF A BITCH. ALFRED! WHERE'S BARBARA?"

ALFRED: "SHE WENT HOME."

GRAYSON: "SHE FIGURED IT OUT. IT'S DR. NASHTON. I GOT TO GO FIND HER. SEND THE EVIDENCE TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT."

(out of breath)

ALFRED: "WAIT, I CAN'T. I THINK BARBARA LOCKED IT."

GRAYSON: "SHE'S GOING TO FIND HIM. DAMN IT!"

He slams his hand on the table. Grayson's phone rings; it's Barbara.

GRAYSON: "WHERE ARE YOU?"

BARBARA: "I'M AT HOME." (slightly upset)

GRAYSON: "LISTEN, I KNOW WHAT YOU KNOW, OK? JUST COME BACK HERE AND WE WILL FIGURE THIS OUT TOGETHER."

BARBARA: "I CAN'T DO THIS GRAYSON. I THOUGHT I COULD BUT I CAN'T. I'M SORRY." (crying)

She hangs up the phone. It's revealed that Edward has her at gun point.

INT. GORDON'S HOUSE- NIGHT

Grayson finds Barbara at home, collapsed with the bottle of her pills emptied. He picks her up and takes her to the hospital.

INT. HOSPITAL-DAY

Grayson and Alfred are in the waiting room. The doctor comes in to talk to them.

DOCTOR: "WE HAVE PUMPED HER STOMACH AND SHE WILL BE FINE."

GRAYSON: "WHAT PILLS WERE THEY?"

DOCTOR: "WE DID A TOXICOLOGY REPORT AND IT WAS HER PRESCRIPTION OF VALIUM."

Grayson looks pissed because he knows Edward changed her prescription back.

DOCTOR: "SHE NEEDS TO BE HERE FOR ANOTHER PSYCHOANALYSIS. HER PSYCHIATRIST, DR. NASHTON WILL TAKE IT FROM HERE."

GRAYSON: "NO THAT'S NOT NECESSARY. YOU CAN'T LEAVE HER WITH HIM."

DOCTOR: "I'M AFRAID THAT'S NOT UP TO YOU. THIS IS HER SECOND SUICIDE ATTEMPT THIS YEAR. HER DOCTOR TELLS ME SHE HAS NOT BEEN FOLLOWING THE GUIDELINES LAID OUT FOR HER WHEN SHE LEFT THE HOSPITAL THE FIRST TIME. THE INJURIES WE FOUND ALL OVER HER BODY ARE ALSO QUITE SUSPICIOUS."

GRAYSON: "SHE DIDN'T TRY TO KILL HERSELF. HER DOCTOR IS CRAZY. I NEED TO SEE HER."

(aggressive)

DOCTOR: "YOU CANNOT VISIT HER AT THIS TIME. NOW BOTH OF YOU LEAVE BEFORE I CALL SECURITY."

Alfred and Grayson start to walk away. They see Dr. Nashton enter Barbara's room. Grayson and Edward make eye contact; Edward smiles. Grayson tries to walk over to him. Alfred grabs his shoulder.

ALFRED: "WE CAN'T HELP HER LIKE THIS. KEEP IT TOGETHER, GRAYSON."

(whispers)

They continue to walk away.

INT. HOSPITAL ROOM- NIGHT

Barbara wakes up in the hospital. She turns over in her bed and sees Nightwing is knocking on her window. He comes in.

NIGHTWING: "I'M SO SORRY BARBARA."

BARBARA: "WHY? YOU'RE GETTING ME OUT OF HERE, RIGHT?..."

Nightwing doesn't answer.

BARBARA: "YOU NEED TO GET ME OUT OF HERE. PLEASE, I CAN'T STAY HERE. I DON'T KNOW WHAT HE'S GOING TO DO TO ME."

NIGHTWING: "WE NEED MORE EVIDENCE TO SHOW WHAT HE'S REALLY CAPABLE OF. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE HE CAN'T SQUIRM HIS WAY OUT OF THIS."

BARBARA: "SEND WHAT YOU ALREADY HAVE TO THE POLICE. I'LL GIVE YOU THE CODE. I'M SORRY I LOCKED IT. I WANTED TO TRY AND REASON WITH HIM. I THOUGHT I COULD."

NIGHTWING: "IF WE NOTIFY THE POLICE, THERE'S A STRONG CHANCE FOR MORE CASUALTIES. WE NEED TO TAKE THE RISK OF WAITING A LITTLE LONGER. WE NEED TO MAKE THIS SACRIFICE."

Barbara doesn't say anything. She tries to hold back the tears and nods her head. She can't look him in the eye.

BARBARA: "OK, I'LL DO MY BEST."

NIGHTWING: "SOMEONE'S COMING."

Barbara turns her head to see the nurses walking by. She turns back to Nightwing; he's gone. She looks down at the edge of her bed. He's left her something in a small bag.

Later, Barbara is eating her hospital food and drinking her juice. She finishes it and notices at the bottom of her glass, a question mark. She knows the drink has been spiked. She tries to get up to warn a nurse, but passes out and falls on the floor.

INT. HOSPITAL-BASEMENT

Barbara wakes up in another room, unclear of where she is. She is laying on the floor and is still groggy from the drugs.

EDWARD: "SO, DO THE OTHERS KNOW MY SECRET NOW TOO?"

BARBARA: "NO, I WANTED TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT IT FIRST."

EDWARD: "(sigh) WHY?"

BARBARA: "BECAUSE I WANT TO HELP YOU." (crying)

EDWARD: "AND WHAT MAKES YOU THINK I NEED HELP? HUH!...I CAN'T STOP. I CAN'T CONTROL THE IMPULSES. I THOUGHT I COULD, BUT I CAN'T. YOU SHOWED ME THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE YOUR WHOLE SELF. WELL, HERE I AM WORLD. DR. EDWARD NASHTON, UNSTOPPABLE GENIUS! I KILLED THOSE PEOPLE BECAUSE I COULD, BECAUSE IT WAS EASY, BECAUSE I HOLD ALL THE POWER."

He kneels down on the floor next to her. He takes out a staff with a small question mark at the end. He takes out a lighter. He heats up the question mark.

EDWARD: "BARBARA, I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU A CHANCE TO ANSWER MY QUESTIONS. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"

BARBARA: "WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?" EDWARD: "I WANT THE FILES, ALL THE EVIDENCE YOU HAVE. TELL ME HOW TO GET INTO COMPUTER? AND I WANT ACCESS INTO THE BATCAVE. YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE ME IN THERE, PERSONALLY."

BARBARA: "YOU'RE NOT GETTING INTO ANYTHING."

EDWARD: "YOU REALLY DON'T WANT TO TEST ME BARBARA, BECAUSE I AM IN NO MOOD FOR IT. I'M GOING TO LEAVE MY MARK ON THE WORLD, BUT BEFORE THAT, (SIGH) I'M GOING TO LEAVE MY MARK ON YOUR BODY."

BARBARA: "PLEASE, PLEASE! NO, NO!

He turns her over on her stomach with his foot. She is in the paper dress with her back exposed. He lights the mark again, then twirls it in the air slightly and places the brand on her back. She screams in pain.

EDWARD: "DO YOU SEE HOW SERIOUS I AM?"

BARBARA: "YES." (crying)

Barbara notices a knife sticking out of his pant pocket.

BARBARA: "BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU GET WHAT YOU WANT."

Edward is extremely angry. He is ready to do it again when she kicks her leg under his, tripping him and knocking him to the ground. She takes the knife out of his pocket and he pushes her off of him. He scoots back up against the wall and she places the knife against his throat.

EDWARD: "I KNEW I SHOULD HAVE GIVEN YOU A STRONGER DOSE."(sigh)

BARBARA: "DO YOU WANT TO BE ALIVE WHEN I LEAVE HERE?"

EDWARD: "WHY DON'T YOU JUST KILL ME?"

BARBARA: "WHY?"

(whispers/crying)

EDWARD: "WHY WHAT?" (sigh/ arrogant)

BARBARA: "JUST GIVE ME AN ANSWER FOR SOMETHING."

EDWARD: "YOU MUST HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS. I'LL GIVE YOU AN ANSWER TO THIS ONE. WHY DID I PRESCRIBE SUCH A STRONG DOSE OF 'MEDICATION' TO YOU?"

BARBARA: "BECAUSE YOU WANTED TO MAKE IT SEEM LIKE I WAS ABUSING THEM AND TO INCREASE THE SIDE EFFECTS."

EDWARD: "DO YOU THINK THAT'S THE ONLY REASON?"

Barbara looks confused and scared.

EDWARD: "MAYBE YOUR MEDICATION MADE YOU SO TIRED THAT YOU COULDN'T HEAR ME SNEAK INTO YOUR ROOM WHEN YOU SLEPT. YOU KNOW I NEVER WOULD HAVE REALIZED HOW MUCH YOU LOVED BATMAN, IF IT WEREN'T FOR THAT NICE PIECE OF ARTWORK ON YOUR NIGHTSTAND. YOU WERE JUST LYING THERE BASICALLY INCAPACITATED. WHAT DO YOU THINK I DID?...OR DID I DO ANYTHING? THAT'S QUITE AN ENIGMA, ISN'T IT?"

(smiling/sigh)

She lunges the knife at him and stabs him in the shoulder. He screams in pain, but is also relieved.

EDWARD: "YOU MISSED." (catching his breath)

She pulls it out and points it back at his throat.

BARBARA: "NO I DIDN'T."

She picks up a metal tray next to her and hits Edward on the side of his head, knocking him out. Her hands are shaking but she slowly gets up and leaves the room. She leaves the room clutching the recording device in her bra. The hospital is quiet. She is careful not be spotted as she is running by the patient rooms. She finds Commissioner Yindel's room and goes in. Barbara leans down by the bed and tries to keep low.

BARBARA: "COMMISSIONER YINDEL, IT'S BARBARA GORDON. I'M JIM GORDON'S DAUGHTER. I NEED YOUR HELP."

YINDEL: "I DON'T THINK I CAN GIVE YOU THE HELP YOU NEED."

(monotone)

BARBARA: "PLEASE JUST LISTEN TO WHAT I HAVE TO SAY. I HAVE ALL THE PROOF YOU NEED AND I WILL SEND IT TO YOU."

YINDEL: "I DON'T EVEN WANT TO KNOW HOW YOU GOT THE PROOF."

Yindel looks the other way. Barbara pulls the recording device out of her bra and smacks it down on the bed next to Yindel.

BARBARA: "EVEN IF YOU DON'T WANT TO LISTEN TO ME, YOU SHOULD STILL LISTEN TO THIS."

INT. BATCAVE-NIGHT.

Barbara made it back with Alfred. He is tending to her burn and bruises. Grayson comes into the room. Barbara looks up when he enters. Nobody says anything. Barbara gets up and stands in front of Grayson. She punches him in the stomach. She sits back down and doesn't say anything.

GRAYSON: "CAN I EXPLAIN?"

BARBARA: "SHUT UP. I KNOW WHAT YOU DID NEEDED TO BE DONE, BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN IT DIDN'T HURT."

GRAYSON: "I'M SORRY."

BARBARA: "YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I WENT THROUGH DO GET THAT INFORMATION. SO YOU BETTER GET HIM LOCKED UP AFTER ALL THIS."

She goes to the computer and types in a few keys and plays the audio of her and Edward. Then she walks away. Grayson and Alfred listen to the recording. They both are very upset after listening to the recording and don't say a word.

INT. EDWARD'S HOME-DAY/OFFICE

The next day, the cops ambush Edward's office and apartment. They are looking for him and taking anything they think is evidence. Montoya is with them. The police try and open the closet, but they realize it's locked. They try to break the door, but Montoya stops them.

MONTOYA: "STOP, IT'S TRIGGERED. WE SHOULD GET OUT. LET THE BOMB SQUAD HANDLE THIS."

COP: "MONTOYA."

MONTOYA: "What?"

COP: "WE JUST GOT WORD THAT A BOMB WENT OFF OVER AT DR. NASHTON'S OFFICE."

INT. GOTHAM BANK-DAY

Edward walks into the bank in disguise. He sneaks in the back and gets on the computers. He sends a virus through the system. Before he leaves, he places a bomb in there. Shortly after he is outside the building. Later, Edward is right in front of the D.M.V., about to go in.

INT. EDWARD'S HOME-DAY

Montoya is the last one to leave Edwards apartment. As she is walking out, she finds an envelope with her name on it, on the fridge. She opens it and reads the letter. She then quickly rushes out of his apartment and into her car.

INT. BATCAVE-DAY

Barbara goes over and talks to Grayson, who's sitting on his bed.

BARBARA: "CAN I TALK TO YOU?"

GRAYSON: "SURE."

BARBARA: "I'M SORRY ABOUT THE HIT."

GRAYSON: "IT'S OK. I CAN TELL YOU WERE HOLDING BACK. AND AGAIN I'M SORRY FOR EVERYTHING."

BARBARA: "IT'S OK. I'VE BEEN THINKING LATELY ABOUT THAT QUESTION YOU ASKED ME, AND I THINK I HAVE AN ANSWER."

GRAYSON: "SO, WHY DO YOU WANT TO BECOME BATGIRL?"

BARBARA: "I WANT TO HELP PEOPLE, BUT A PART OF ME KNOWS I'M DOING IT FOR MYSELF. I'M NOT PROUD OF THAT PART,BUT I KNOW IT'S TRUE. I THINK PART OF YOU DOES IT FOR YOURSELF TOO, SO DOES BRUCE. I THINK ANYBODY WHO MAKES A BIG DECISION LIKE THIS DOES IT SOMEWHAT WITH THEIR OWN SELF INTEREST. WE CHOSE THIS BECAUSE WE WANT IT."

Grayson is about to respond back, but Alfred walks in with a concerned look on his face.

AFLRED: "YOU GOT A LETTER."

He hands her the envelope. Her hands are shaking.

BARBARA: "I'M AFRAID TO OPEN IT."

The green envelope contains a note saying: "Find the difference in these photographs." The photos are of the Wayne Enterprise interns from 1990.

BARBARA: "THIS ONE IS HANGING IN THE LOBBY AT WAYNE ENTERPRISES."

GRAYSON: "THIS ONE HAS EDWARD IN IT...HE WORKED FOR BRUCE?"

ALFRED: "I DIDN'T KNOW."

GRAYSON: "WE NEED TO GET TO WAYNE ENTERPRISES NOW, BUT HOW DO WE KNOW WHERE TO GO."

BARBARA: "ROOM 990."

She holds up the photo. It has x's over the the 990 for the date.

ALFRED: "IT'S TWO ROOMS. THE BUILDING HAS 990 AND 909."

GRAYSON: "ONE FOR EACH OF US. IT'S SUNDAY NO ONE SHOULD BE IN THE BUILDING."

BARBARA: "THAT'S THE WAY HE WANTS IT, JUST US. HE CAN BE IN EITHER ROOM, OR NONE AT ALL. WE DON'T KNOW. WE HAVEN'T BEEN THE GREATEST AT ALWAYS FIGURING HIM OUT."

GRAYSON: "YOU WANT TO SWITCH OCCUPATIONS?"

He smiles at her.

BARBARA: "NOT A CHANCE. YOU READY TO END THIS?"

INT. WAYNE ENTERPRISES-DAY

Montoya arrives at Wayne Enterprises first. She heads to Bruce's office, which is located near the top floor. She enters the room and Edward is standing in front of her. Her gun is drawn on him. The room is dark with some light coming in from a window.

MONTOYA: "PLEASE JUST GO QUIETLY EDWARD."

He starts to walk closer to her with his hands raised.

MONTOYA: "TURN AROUND EDWARD. TURN AROUND!"

He turns around and pulls a string hanging above his head. Montoya's foot is standing over a rope trap. It grabs her ankle and pulls her; she is hanging upside down above the floor. She is still holding her gun and tries to fire at Edward but misses. He hits her in the head with his cane knocking her out.

Batgirl and Nightwing enter the building. They look over at the floor index by the elevator and see their names by a room number. They give each other a look and go their separate ways. They enter their rooms. Grayson's room is pitch black. Batgirl's room is a conference room with people in all the seats with blankets over them. It's left ambiguous as to which room Edward is in. They both can hear Edward's voice over a loud speaker.

EDWARD: "ANYONE CAN CAUSE MASS CHAOS, BUT A SUPERIOR ENEMY KNOWS HOW TO GET UNDER YOUR SKIN."

As Nightwing is walking over to where he thinks he hears the voice, the door locks behind him..

NIGHTWING: "BATGIRL, I THINK EDWARD IS IN YOUR ROOM."

Batgirl has taken off most of the blankets and they are all dummies. She sees one moving; she goes over to it.

Back to Nightwing. He tries to get out of his room. A gas bomb goes off, releasing poison. The lights go on in the room revealing all the victims Nightwing didn't save. He puts a gas mask on and tries to unlock the door.

Batgirl takes the cover off the moving figure and it's Bruce tied up.

FLASHBACK:

INT. EDWARD'S OFFICE-DAY

Bruce is walking into Edward's office. Edward is standing by the window.

BRUCE: "DR. NASHTON."

EDWARD: "BRUCE WAYNE, GOOD TO MEET YOU."

They shake hands and sit down.

EDWARD: "SO WHAT BRINGS YOU HERE TODAY BRUCE?"

BRUCE: "WELL, I HEAR THAT THERAPY IS ALL THE RAGE WITH MY COHORTS. I JUST WANTED TO SEE WHAT IT WAS ALL ABOUT."

EDWARD: "SO, YOU'RE HERE BECAUSE YOUR FRIENDS HAVE TRIED IT BEFORE? YOU'RE NOT EVEN THE LEAST BIT CURIOUS OF WHAT IT CAN DO FOR YOU?"

BRUCE: "I SUPPOSE WHEN YOU SAY IT LIKE THAT, IT DOES SOUND SILLY. A FRIEND OF MINE IS A PATIENT OF YOURS TOO, SO I WANTED...

EDWARD: "LET'S NOT TALK ABOUT OTHER PATIENTS HERE. IT'S NOT APPROPRIATE. LET'S KEEP THE FOCUS ON YOU."

(sigh)

BRUCE: "I'M SORRY."

EDWARD: "IT'S OK. NOW BRUCE, MY QUESTION FOR YOU IS, WHAT IS YOUR REALITY?"

BRUCE: "...I BELIEVE MY REPUTATION PRECEDES ME...RIGHT DR. NASHTON?"

EDWARD: "BUT HOW MANY PEOPLE KNOW THE REAL YOU?"

BRUCE: "MAYBE ONLY MY BUTLER."

EDWARD: "MAYBE, PEOPLE KNOW MORE THAN YOU THINK."

BRUCE: "I HOPE NOT." (skeptical/suspicious)

Bruce gives a poor/fake chuckle. Bruce begins to realize that something is off about this conversation. Bruce glances over at this phone.

BRUCE: "YOU KNOW, I'M VERY SORRY. I JUST GOT A MESSAGE CALLING ME BACK TO WAYNE ENTERPRISES. WE WILL HAVE TO CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION SOME OTHER TIME. I'LL HAVE MY ASSISTANT SCHEDULE SOMETHING SOON."

Bruce gets up to leave, Edward follows him.

EDWARD: "ABSOLUTELY."

BRUCE: "AGAIN, I'M REALLY SORRY ABOUT THIS."

EDWARD: "NO NEED FOR AN APOLOGY. I CAN ONLY IMAGINE HOW BUSY YOUR LIFE MUST BE, ALWAYS GETTING CALLED IN FOR DUTY."

Bruce gives him a slight glare. They are both in the doorway, the door is still closed. Bruce puts his hand on the door but Edward sticks his hand out to shake. Bruce complies and shakes his hand. Once both hands are locked in a handshake. Bruce makes a face, like he is in slight pain. He looks down at his hand and turns it and seen Edward had hidden a syringe in his sleeve that injected Bruce in the wrist. He looks at Edward who is smiling and laughing.

CUT TO:

BATGIRL: "OH MY GOD BRUCE. HE'S HAD YOU THIS WHOLE TIME? I'M SO SORRY."

She unties him from all his bindings. He is weak.

BATGIRL: "IS HE HERE?"

BRUCE: "I DON'T THINK SO."

BATGIRL: "THEN WHY DID HE BRING US HERE?"

(frustrated)

INT. BATCAVE-DAY

Edward has broken in and starts whistling while browsing around.

INT. WAYNE ENTERPRISES-DAY

Nightwing can't unlock the door and he begins to cough because some of the gas is making its way into his mask. He tries to break one of the windows to escape. It takes a few hits, but he is able to do it. Before he exits out the building, he hears someone faintly crying out for help. He sticks his head out the window and looks up. Montoya is dangling out the window in Bruce's office, by her feet.

NIGHTWING: "OH MY GOD. I'M COMING MONTOYA."

He shoots his grapple up to the roof. Edward has placed the rope directly in the path of where Nightwing would shoot his grapple to save her. Nightwing accidently cuts the rope with grapple and Montoya begins to fall. Nightwing releases his grapple and tries to grab Montoya. She reaches for him as they are both falling. Nightwing uses the grapple again, but the hold isn't strong, especially with the weight of the two of them. He can feel the rope breaking as they swing in the air. Montoya realizes she still has a gun on her and quickly decides to shoot out a window. They immediately swing towards it and jump in. Batgirl has untied all the ropes to Bruce and he stands up, but stumbles.

BATGIRL: "YOU DON'T LOOK SO GOOD. WE CAN TAKE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL. NIGHTWING AND I CAN FINISH THIS."

BRUCE: "I'LL BE ALRIGHT...LOOK AT YOU. I FEEL LIKE I'M FINALLY LOOKING AT THE REAL BARBARA."

BATGIRL: "THANKS, YOU SURE YOU DON'T WANT ME TO TAKE YOU TO THAT HOSPITAL?"

Bruce gives her a small smile. Nightwing comes into the room with Montoya.

BATGIRL: "WHAT HAPPENED?"

NIGHTWING: "I'LL TELL YOU LATER. WHAT HAPPENED?"

BATGIRL: "I'LL TELL YOU LATER."

MONTOYA: "I'VE CALLED FOR BACKUP. BRUCE ARE YOU OK?"

BRUCE: "FINE. WE DON'T NEED BACKUP, HE'S NOT HERE."

MONTOYA: "WE'LL FIND HIM OK. LET'S JUST WAIT FOR PD."

BATGIRL: "WE CAN'T. HE'S NOT HERE. WE NEED TO FIND HIM, NOW."

NIGHTWING: "WE NEED TO DO THIS ON OUR OWN THIS TIME."

Batgirl looks above the door into the room.

BATGIRL: "OH MY GOD."

She grabs what is hanging above the door. It's the gift that she got Grayson for Christmas.

BATGIRL: "CALL ALFRED, TELL HIM TO GET OUT NOW."

Nightwing gets him on his phone.

NIGHTWING: "AL."

ALFRED: "I KNOW HE'S IN THE BATCAVE. I'M FINE. I'M FAR AWAY FROM THE GROUNDS. GO GET HIM."

INT. BATCAVE-DAY

All three enter the cave.

BRUCE: "WHERE IS HE?"

BATGIRL: "HE MIGHT NOT BE HERE EITHER."

BRUCE: "WE'LL SPLIT UP AND LOOK FOR HIM."

They are about to split up, Bruce is limping pretty bad.

NIGHTWING: "HEY YOU OK?"

BRUCE: "I'M FINE. LET'S JUST FIND THIS ASSHOLE."

An audio goes off again.

EDWARD: "HELLO, THIS IS THE RIDDLER SPEAKING. HOW MAY I HELP YOU TODAY? ARE YOU TIRED, FEELING HELPLESS? WELL RIDDLER HAS ALL THE QUESTIONS FOR YOUR ANSWERS."

While they are all split up. Edward sneaks up from behind Batgirl and puts his hand over her mouth. He hits her head against the wall stunning her.

EDWARD:"YOU SAID YOU LIKE PUZZLES AND YOU SAID YOU WANTED A CHALLENGE. (SIGH) I'M JUST GIVING YOU WHAT YOU WANT."

Edward hits Batgirl in the face, knocking her down. Nightwing comes over to them. He is still feeling effects from some of the poison and begins to cough quite a bit.

EDWARD: "OH THIS IS TOO EASY."

He strikes Nightwing in the face with his cane and then stands over him. He puts the question mark end of his cane under Nightwing's chin.

EDWARD: "HOW ABOUT A RIDDLE? I WILL KILL YOU UNLESS YOU CAN OUTSMART ME AND YOU CAN ANSWER THIS RIDDLE. WHAT SUIT OF CARDS LAYS EGGS?"

NIGHTWING: "I'M GOING TO DIE EITHER WAY RIGHT?"

EDWARD: "PRECISELY."

He lifts up the cane and pulls out the sword. He is about to strike when...

BATGIRL: "I KNOW THE ANSWER. ONE THAT'S CHICKEN HEARTED. ISN'T THAT RIGHT, EDWARD."

She throws a batarang and it knocks the sword out of his hand. He pulls out another cane, which he expands and they begin to fight. He comes at her with the cane; she continually doges it. She hits him in the face and he hits her in the side with the cane. She bends over in pain. He pushes her up against the wall with the cane at her throat. She jumps and kicks both legs at his chest. He lets go of the cane and falls to the ground. She takes his cane and twirls it a bit and smacks him in the face with it. She has him pinned down, with her boot. She pushes a spike out of it that stabs him in the abdomen.

BATGIRL: "THIS FEELS FAMILIAR, DOESN'T IT? NOW, HOW ABOUT I LEAVE MY MARK ON YOU?"

She points something on the table Bruce is standing next to. Bruce tosses Batgirl a special batarang.

BATGIRL: "I MADE THIS ONE SPECIAL, THANKS TO YOU."

She places it on Edward's bald head and it starts to heat up and burn into him. He throws her off and grabs his gun and points it at her. He restrains himself from shooting her. She looks at him with some sensitivity. Bruce and Nightwing go over to Edward and both of them just start to beat him. Batgirl lets them do it for a moment. Bruce slams Edward up against a wall.

EDWARD: "DON'T YOU THINK I PLANNED IT THIS WAY? THE FOUR MOST INTELLIGENT PEOPLE IN GOTHAM...ALLEGEDLY." (sigh)

He looks over at Nightwing.

EDWARD: "YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND, I REALLY DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE YOU ANY CLUES. BUT I DID, BECAUSE I MIGHT NEED HELP. I MIGHT ACTUALLY BE CRAZY." (laughing/sigh)

BRUCE: "WHAT DO YOU WANT EDWARD?"

EDWARD: "I WANT TO END THIS, NO MORE GAMES...WELL MAYBE JUST ONE MORE."

NIGHTWING: "HOW ABOUT NO MORE?"

Nightwing has Edward's gun pointed at him.

BRUCE: "YOU KNOW WHAT, I LIKE THAT IDEA TOO."

Batgirl steps in front of Edward.

BATGIRL: "I DON'T."

NIGHTWING: "THINK ABOUT WHAT HE'S DONE TO US. TO YOU ESPECIALLY."

BATGIRL: "I HAVE. HE'S SICK, HE'S NEEDS HELP. DOING ANYTHING PHYSICAL TO HIM DOES NOTHING."

EDWARD: "BUT YOU ALL HAVEN'T SEEN THE PRESENT I BROUGHT YET. I THOUGHT WE SHOULD ALL GO OUT WITH A BANG."

(laughing/crying)

Batgirl and Nightwing stay with Edward while Bruce goes towards the back of the batcave and see a giant gift box. It's surrounded by explosives and a timer.

NIGHTWING: "HOW DID HE BRING IT IN HERE?"

BRUCE: "HOW LONG?"

EDWARD: "MINUTES."

Bruce, Batgirl and Nightwing are in shock and know there fate is glib.

NIGHTWING: "HOW DID YOU DO IT?"

BATGIRL: "THAT'S NOT EVERYTHING, IS IT? WHAT'S THE CATCH?"

(upset)

EDWARD: "BARBARA YOU KNOW ME TOO WELL. THE BOMB CAN'T BE STOPPED, BUT THE SIGNAL CAN BE TRANSFERRED TO ANOTHER LOCATION." (sigh)

BRUCE: "WHERE?"

EDWARD: "YOUR OTHER HALF."

BRUCE: "WAYNE ENTERPRISES? I CAN CLEAR ALL THE POLICE OUT OF THERE IN

SECONDS. SO THEN WHAT?"

EDWARD: "COME ON BRUCE, YOU'RE NOT THAT SMALL MINDED. THE SIGNAL WILL ATTACK EVERY SERVER AT WAYNE ENTERPRISES AND REVEAL "ALL" SECRETS YOU HAVE TO OFFER. IF I CAN'T DESTROY BATMAN, THEN BRUCE WAYNE WILL."

BRUCE: "BARBARA, YOU CAN FIX THIS RIGHT?"

BATGIRL: "EDWARD ISN'T THE BEST PROGRAMMER IN GOTHAM, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF I HAVE ENOUGH TIME."

Nightwing runs over to help Bruce grab some of their equipment. Batgirl stays with Edward.

EDWARD: "CAN I TELL YOU SOMETHING?"

BATGIRL: "DON'T SAY ANYTHING."

He quickly grabs Batgirl and pulls another gun on her. He holds it up to her chin. Bruce and Nightwing move towards them.

EDWARD: "ONE MORE STEP AND I WILL SHOOT HER. KEEP YOUR HANDS UP RIGHT NOW! YOU TOO BARBARA."

EDWARD: "I WANT BARBARA TO TAKE HER RIGHT HAND AND PRESS THE BUTTON ON MY WATCH."

BATGIRL: "OK, I'M REACHING FOR THE BUTTON."

She reaches for the button and a door opens to the outside. He guides Barbara over there, with the gun still to her chin. He shoves her into the threshold and immediately shuts the door.

BATGIRL: "NOOOO!"

Edward breaks the device, with his foot.

EDWARD: WE ARE STAYING PUT, UNDERSTOOD?"

BRUCE: "LET GRAYSON GO TOO. JUST LET ME DIE HERE."

EDWARD: "NO MORE NEGOTIATIONS."

While they are all talking, Batgirl climbs out of the hole and onto the ground. She begins to cry. When she looks upshe sees a question mark tagged on a tree. She goes up to it and then sees another. She follows all the tags quickly and then falls into a hole. She quickly uses her grapple before she falls too far. She lights a flare and moves it around her. She thinks she sees something and throws the flare toward it. It lights up a glowing green path. She realizes she can get back into the batcave. She starts to grapple and climb rocks to get to the another entrance. She finds a a pulley system, directly under the floor where the three are standing and can hear them is what Edward used to bring the bomb up in pieces. She tries to grab the pulley system to climb up but it doesn't support her fully, so she uses her grapple. Water is falling down a grate on the side where Batgirl is looking through. She is able to reach the wires connecting the bomb. She is standing on a slightly unstable rock.

EDWARD: "SHOULD BE ABOUT FIVE MINUTES NOW."

Nightwing gets up.

EDWARD: "WHATEVER YOU ARE DOING, THERE'S NO POINT."

NIGHTWING: "EVEN THOUGH WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE TODAY I WANT YOU TO GO FIRST."

BRUCE: "GRAYSON!"

Nightwing begins to fight Edward. He picks him up and begins to throw him around the room. They begin to knock stuff over. She messages Bruce through her watch that she needs a power cell. He looks down at the floor and sees Batgirl through a grate.

BRUCE: "GRAYSON THAT'S ENOUGH!"

He doesn't listen and slams Edward into the bomb, causing it to shift and turnover, computer side facing down. Bruce grabs the both of them and plops them on either side.

EDWARD: "ONE MORE HIT AND I BLOW US UP NOW!"

Edward reveals a detonator in his pocket. Nightwing and Bruce stop and just sit down. While they were fighting, Batgirl quietly opened the grate above her to try and reach the bomb. She hears bats in a hole in the a rock, near her. She press a button on her watch and it emits a high frequency pitch. The bats come rushing out of the floor. The bats knock Edward over and he loses the detonator. Nightwing subdues him and Bruce rushes to get the power cell. He throws it to Batgirl; she catches it but slips in the rock. She grabs on to the grate with one hand and shoves the power cell into the bomb with another. She closes her eyes as she does it, not fully sure if it will work, but is thankful it does. Bruce pulls her up out of the grate and gives her a big hug.

BATGIRL: "I FIGURED IT OUT; HE BROUGHT IT IN THROUGH THE GRATE." (out of breath)

She points to her brain and winks. After she is sure it's dead. She pushes it down the hole, into a body of water. Bruce heads over the computer to check on some things.

BATGIRL: "WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?"

BRUCE: "TO SEE IF ANY FILES WERE ACCESSED OR TAKEN BY HIM...IT DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE TAMPERED WITH."

BATGIRL: "IT SHOULDN'T. I INSTALLED A DECOY SERVER. IT MAKES A PERSON BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE LOOKING AT THE FILES, BUT IF THEY ARE TAKEN OR IF ANYTHING IS DONE TO THEM, THE FILES GET CORRUPTED."

BRUCE: "THANK YOU FOR THAT."

BATGIRL: "STILL SOMETHING MUST BE WRONG BECAUSE HE SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET IN THE BATCAVE. SO I'M SORRY ABOUT THAT."

BATMAN: "THAT WASN'T YOUR FAULT; IT WAS MINE."

Bruce shows her a bandage on the side of his arm.

BATGIRL: "WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?"

BRUCE: "SOME OF US ARE STRONGER THAN OTHERS WHEN IT COMES TO NOT REVEALING INFORMATION. I HAD AN OVERRIDE KEY EMBEDDED IN MY SKIN. IT CAN GET INTO THE BATCAVE EVEN IF IT'S ON LOCK-DOWN. I HAD IT DONE QUITE SOMETIME AGO. NOT MY BRIGHTEST IDEA."

BATGIRL: "UM, YOU THINK? BRUCE THE ONLY WAY THAT COULD HAVE BEEN A WORSE IDEA, IS IF YOU HID IT IN YOUR PENIS. GRAYSON PLEASE DON'T TELL ME YOU HAVE ONE."

NIGHTWING: "NO, NO... BRUCE YOU DIDN'T PUT ONE IN ME DID YOU?" (whispers)

Later Bruce puts on his Batman suit and they are about to leave. He walks over to Edward, who is tied up.

BATMAN: "WHY DID YOU KIDNAP ME?"

EDWARD: "ASK HER."

BATGIRL: "BECAUSE HE COULD, BECAUSE HE'S JEALOUS OF YOU. BECAUSE HE'S AFRAID OF YOU. IF YOU LET BRUCE IN THIS FIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING, YOU KNOW HE WOULD HAVE KICKED YOUR ASS. YOU THOUGHT GRAYSON AND I WOULD FAIL WITHOUT HIM, BUT WE DIDN'T. YOU DON'T WIN HERE, EVER."

She gets up close to his face.

BATGIRL: "I DO, BUT BECAUSE OF ALL THE SICK GAMES YOU PLAYED, I FOUND A STRENGTH IN ME I DIDN'T THINK I COULD HAVE. SO, THANK YOU."

EDWARD: "LET ME SAY ONE THING..."

Nightwing kicks him in the face, knocking him out. Batgirl looks over at Nightwing.

NIGHTWING: "WHAT? I JUST WANTED YOU TO HAVE THE LAST WORD."

She smiles.

EXT. POLICE DEPARTMENT-DAY

Later all three, in costume bring Edward to the police station. They are at the steps about to go in.

BATMAN: "BARBARA, I WANT TO TELL YOU SOMETHING BEFORE WE GO IN. THIS WOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED WITHOUT YOU AND YOUR SKILLS. YOU ARE A VITAL MEMBER OF THIS TEAM AND WE CAN'T GO FURTHER WITHOUT YOU."

BARBARA: "THANK YOU BRUCE. NOW I REALLY KNOW WHAT YOU MEANT ABOUT MY STRENGTH. I GET IT, FINALLY."

EDWARD: "(SIGH) I HATE TO BREAK UP THIS BEAUTIFUL MOMENT. HOWEVER, YOU REALLY SHOULD HAVE JUST KILLED ME BECAUSE NOW I HAVE SO MUCH INFORMATION TO GIVE OUT." (laughing/crazy)

The three look at each other concerned. They realize he knows all three of their identities and can release it. The police show up and take Edward away.

INT. COURTROOM-DAY

This is Edward's hearing.

JUDGE: "SO EDWARD..."

EDWARD: "DR. NASHTON." (sigh)

JUDGE: "DR. NASHTON, YOU ADMIT TO THESE MURDERS. DO YOU NOT?"

EDWARD: "I DO."

JUDGE: "CAN YOU TELL THE COURTROOM YOUR REASONING?"

EDWARD: "I DO BELIEVE I DESERVE A THANK YOU FOR THE WORK I'VE DONE."

JUDGE: "YOU MURDERED ALL OF THESE PEOPLE AND YOU WANT A THANK YOU?" (angry)

EDWARD: "I RID THE CITY OF THE INCOMPETENT AND IGNORANT. IF THE CITIZENS OF GOTHAM HAD ANY INTELLIGENCE WHAT SO EVER, THEY WOULD HAVE ANSWERED MY RIDDLES CORRECTLY. THEREFORE BEEN WORTHY OF LIVING. ALTHOUGH THERE WERE A FEW EXCEPTIONS."

He glares at Bruce, Grayson, and Barbara in the courtroom.

EDWARD: "IN FACT THEY MIGHT EVEN BE IN THIS ROOM RIGHT NOW."(sigh)

JUDGE: "I THINK I'VE HEARD ENOUGH."

EDWARD: "I JUST HAVE ONE MORE THING I WOULD LIKE TO SAY."

Barbara puts her head down, waiting for him to say it.

EDWARD: "YOU KNOW IT'S THE DAMNDEST THING, I FORGOT."

The three all look at each, confused.

DEFENSE ATTORNEY: "YOUR HONOR CAN I HAVE A TEN MINUTE RECESS?"

JUDGE: "I'LL ALLOW IT. COURT'S IN RECESS."

During the recess Edward is in a tense conversation with his lawyer. Barbara is trying to see what they are saying.

GRAYSON: "WHY DO YOU THINK HE DIDN'T REVEAL OUR IDENTITIES?"

BARBARA: "BY GIVING UP THE SECRET, IT WOULD BECOME WORTHLESS AND HE WOULDN'T HAVE THE UPPER HAND ANYMORE."

Court goes back in session.

DEFENSE ATTORNEY: "YOUR HONOR, MY CLIENT AGAINST MY WISHES, HAS DECIDED TO PLEAD GUILTY TO ALL CHARGES. AND HAS DECIDED TO DROP THE REASON OF INSANITY."

JUDGE: "IS THIS TRUE DR. NASHTON?"

EDWARD: "YES, I WANT TO PLEAD GUILTY TO ALL CHARGES."

JUDGE: "ALRIGHT, SENTENCING WILL BE SCHEDULED ON THE TWELFTH OF NEXT MONTH AT NINE A.M."

The judge hits his gavel. The police force Edward out of the courtroom. He gives one more look to Barbara. She nods her head, both happy he did the right thing.

EXT. ROOFTOP OF POLICE DEPARTMENT-NIGHT (3 MONTHS LATER)

Commissioner Gordon is back at his job and is in good health. He stands over by the bat signal, waiting for Batman. Batman arrives next to Gordon.

BATMAN: "IT'S GOOD TO HAVE YOU BACK GORDON."

GORDON: "IT'S GOOD TO BE BACK. ESPECIALLY DURING A QUITE PERIOD IN THE CITY. THANK YOU."

BATMAN: "COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT MY PARTNERS."

GORDON: "I THOUGHT I HEARD SOME PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT A NEW PARTNER."

BATMAN: "WOULD YOU LIKE TO MEET HER?"

Batgirl arrives behind the two of them.

BATGIRL: "COMMISSIONER GORDON."

Gordon turns around; he knows it's his daughter.

BATGIRL: "I'M BATGIRL. IT'S GOOD TO HAVE YOU BACK AT GOTHAM PD."

GORDON: "TELL ME HOW DID YOU GET TO BECOME BATMAN'S PARTNER?"

BATGIRL: "I WOULDN'T TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER. I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT STUBBORNESS RUNS IN MY FAMILY."

BATMAN: "I COULDN'T HAVE STOPPED RIDDLER WITHOUT HER. I DON'T JUST WANT HER ON MY TEAM, I NEED HER."

GORDON: "WELL I GUESS THAT MAKES YOU A HERO THEN."

BATGIRL: "YOU THINK SO, (CLEARS HER THROAT) COMMISSIONER?"

GORDON: "I DON'T THINK A DAUGHTER OF MINE COULD BE ANYTHING ELSE."

She runs over and gives her father a big hug. She whispers in his ear.

BATGIRL: "I'M GOING TO MAKE YOU PROUD OF ME DAD, I PROMISE."

GORDON: "YOU ALWAYS HAVE."

BATGIRL: "WELL THIS WENT A LOT EASIER THAN I THOUGHT. SERIOUSLY, YOU CAN STOP HIDING."

(To Nightwing)

GORDON: "WHAT DID YOU THINK I WAS GOING TO DO, FIGHT HIM?...OH."

NIGHTWING: "WELCOME BACK COMMISSIONER."

He puts out his hand to Gordon.

GORDON: "YOU WANT TO KEEP YOUR HAND KID?"

NIGHTWING: "NOT A PROBLEM." Nightwing puts his hands up and backs away.

BATGIRL: "WOW."

GORDON: "I HAVE TO DO ONE NORMAL FATHER THING. WELL, I DIDN'T TURN THE SIGNAL ON TO CHAT. FRANCIS PIERCE IS LEAVING GOTHAM WITH SOME DANGEROUS GOODS, CHEMICAL WEAPONS. WE HAVE POLICE AT THE DOCKS WAITING FOR HIM TO ARRIVE. WE CAN'T TAKE THE TRUCK DOWN SAFELY WITHOUT CAUSING AN EXPLOSION."

NIGHTWING: "SO STOP THE TRUCK WITHOUT CRASHING IT AND MAKE SURE PIERCE IS ALIVE. HOW MUCH TIME BEFORE HE ARRIVES AT THE DOCKS?"

GORDON: "FIFTEEN MINUTES, BETTER HURRY."

BATMAN: "THANKS GORDON."

Batman and Nightwing leave the rooftop first. Batgirl follows; she is on the edge of the ledge when she looks back at her father.

GORDON: "SORRY ABOUT THE SITUATION WITH MY PHONE. I KNOW YOU TRIED TO GET IN TOUCH WITH ME."

BATGIRL: "IT'S OK. I'LL FILL YOU IN ON EVERYTHING SOON."

GORDON: "BARBARA, I FOUND SOMETHING ON MY OFFICE COMPUTER."

BATGIRL: "I'M SORRY. I'LL TAKE IT OFF."

(quickly)

GORDON: "NO, I FOUND AN OLD PHOTO OF THE TWO OF US. WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?"

BATGIRL: "OH, THE SAME THING."

She quickly jumps off the ledge and on her bat-cycle.

EXT. CITY STREETS-NIGHT

Francis Pierce is driving a large semi-truck full of chemical weapons in large crates. There is a net to prevent the crates from sliding out. There is one passenger with him in the front of the truck and four men in the back. Pierce looks through the side mirror and sees the bat-mobile behind him.

CREW1: "WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO?"

PIERCE: "HE CAN'T SHOOT BACK AT US, SO LIGHT HIM UP."

The man pulls out a gun and fires at the bat-mobile. The bat-mobile continues to move side to side to avoid the fire. Two giant wires pop out of the bat-mobile and latch to the door on the back of the semi, and rip it off. The men inside keep firing at the bat-mobile. Batman fires a gun that grabs the men's guns and throws them out of the truck. The semi makes a hard turn to the left and because Batman is subduing the men in the back of the truck he can't make the turn all the way and crashes. Nightwing catches up to the truck now and jumps off his bike into the back the truck. He fights the men all together throwing them out of the back of the truck. The last man is more difficult since he is larger than Nightwing. The man throws Nightwing to one of the walls of the truck. Nightwing stabs him in the leg and throws him out. Nightwing climbs to the top of the truck. He gets onto the hood of the car and rips off the windshield. He is shot at by the passenger, but takes his gun away. Pierce turns the car hard and knocks Nightwing off.

PIERCE: "TOOK CARE OF THEM."

CREW1: "DO YOU HEAR THAT OTHER CYCLE?"

PIERCE: "WHAT OTHER CYCLE?"

He looks into the side mirror on this left and sees and cycle driving itself.

PIERCE: "WHAT THE HELL?"

Batgirl comes in from the passenger side window and knocks out the passenger.

BATGIRL: "HI."

Pierce tries to shoot her, but she grabs his hands, and the gun fires out the window.

BATGIRL: "NICE TRY...YOU MIGHT WANT TO STOP THE CAR, LOOK."

He looks in front of him and she punches him in the face. They can see the cop lights at the dock and Batman and Nightwing are waiting with them. Batgirl slams on the breaks and quickly throws it in park. Pierce goes flying out and rolls of the hood and lands on his back. Batgirl smiles at Montoya, Gordon, Nightwing and Batman. Batman grabs Pierce and his cape flies over him in a quick swoop.

Cut to black.


End file.
